Talisca stunner earns Beşiktaş 1-1 draw at Benfica

LISBON

Brazilian substitute Anderson Talisca scored a stunning stoppage-time free kick against his own club to earn Beşiktaş a 1-1 draw at former European Cup winner Benfica in a Champions League Group B match late on Sept. 13. 

The 22-year old forward, loaned to the Turkish title holder by its Portuguese rival during the close season, replaced Oğuzhan Özyakup at halftime and silenced the home crowd when he canceled out a 12th-minute opener by Franco Cervi. 

Benfica were punished for a late miss by winger Eduardo Salvio, who shot straight at Beşiktaş keeper Tolga Zengin minutes before Talisca equalized. 

Benfica, who won successive titles in Europe’s flagship club competition in 1961 and 1962, looked totally in control after Cervi pounced to sweep home a close-range rebound after Tolga could only parry a stinging low shot by Salvio from a tight angle. 

The closest Beşiktaş came in the first half was a swerving Ricardo Quaresma free kick in the 30th minute before the busy Tolga palmed away a ferocious Andre Horta piledriver from 30 meters at the other end. 
Benfica left back Alex Grimaldo briefly lost consciousness in the second half after Portugal winger Quaresma knocked him down with a thundering volley which crashed into the defender’s head. Grimaldo recovered quickly. 

Beşiktaş midfielder Atiba Hutchinson forced an acrobatic save from Benfica keeper Ederson as stoppage time approached and just when it seemed the hosts would hang on for a labored win, Talisca curled his shot around the wall and left Ederson clutching thin air.   

In the other Group B game, Italia’s Napoli beat Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv 2-1.  
     
Beşiktaş will play next against Dinamo Kyiv in Group B as Napoli takes on Benfica on Sept. 28.    
   
In Group C, the match between England’s Manchester City and Germany’s Borussia Monchengladbach was postponed due to bad weather conditions.      

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique hailed hat-trick hero Lionel Messi as the greatest player in the world “in every position” after the Argentine maestro sent another record tumbling in a thumping 7-0 Champions League win over Celtic. 

Messi became the first player in European Cup history to score six hat-tricks as he bagged his 40th career treble for club and country in Barça’s biggest European Cup win. 

Suarez, reunited with Messi and Neymar for the first time this season, told TV3: “It has been many games since we have been able to enjoy being on the pitch together and today we did.” Celtic will have to shrug off this worst ever European defeat as their next Group C outing is at home to City.

It was also Celtic’s heaviest ever defeat in the competition.