Record-breaker Beşiktaş awaits next opponent
ANKARA
Defending Turkish champion Beşiktaş became the only Turkish team ever to qualify undefeated while winning four matches in the group stages of the Champions League with a 2-1 win at RB Leipzig on Dec. 6, and now awaits its opponent in the last 16 stage.
The draw for the next stage will be made on Dec. 11 in Nyon, Switzerland.
“Ending the group stage undefeated and with the most points achieved by a Turkish team. Now who’s next #UCL?” the Istanbul club said on Twitter.
Beşiktaş striker Cem Tosun also expressed his confidence following the game.
“We need to keep playing with the same discipline going forward. It doesn’t really matter who we get in the next round because the 16 that remain are the best of the best. A game against Bayern [Munich] would be special though,” said Tosun, according to UEFA’s official website.
Beşiktaş’s possible opponents include some of the best teams in the European football.
In addition to Bayern, Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid all finished second in their groups, and the Istanbul club may be drawn against any of them.
The remaining possible last 16 opponents are Swiss Basel, Shakhtar of Ukraine and Spanish club Sevilla.
Beşiktaş made a good start to the game in Germany started when Alvaro Negredo fired the visiting side ahead with a penalty conceded by Leipzig captain Willi Orban for bringing down Jeremain Lens.
Timo Werner thought he had equalized some 10 minutes later, when the linesman’s flag stayed down. However, referee Viktor Kassai ruled the goal out for offside after consulting the linesman. TV replays showed it was the correct decision.
Jean-Kevin Augustin went close to an equalizer after the break, Keita tried his luck, and Werner brought the best from Tolga Zengin. The Beşiktaş goalkeeper and captain produced a host of saves to keep his side in front.
“The goalkeeper played the game of his life,” Orban said.
Leipzig’s Stefan Ilsanker was sent off for his second yellow card, then Keita made the breakthrough with three minutes remaining.
However, Talisca finished off the Bundesliga outfit, which now has to be content with Europa League football.
Monaco finished bottom of the group after losing 5-2 at Porto, which claimed second spot.
Elsewhere in the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to ever score in all six group games in one season as Real Madrid edged out a dispirited Borussia Dortmund 3-2.
Lucas Vazquez grabbed the winner nine minutes from time for the European champion, which was already guaranteed to go through to the last 16 as runner-up in Group H to Tottenham Hotspur.
Ronaldo took his tally to nine goals in six European appearances this season with a spectacular long-range effort into the top corner after Borja Mayoral’s opener to give Real a 2-0 lead inside 12 minutes.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued his excellent record against Madrid with a quickfire double either side of halftime to bring Dortmund level.
But despite Vazquez’s late strike, the Germans drop into the Europa League with a record low two points thanks to their better goal difference over APOEL Nicosia, which was defeated 3-0 at Spurs.
