Besiktas is not the new leader in the Süper Lig after all. Wout Weghorst seemed to be the match winner in Saturday’s away match against Istanbulspor, but shortly before time the home team came alongside thanks to a wonderful free kick: 2-2. Besiktas are now third with fourteen points, while Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor have collected sixteen points. Weghorst scored six minutes before half-time and now stands on four goals in the Turkish league this season.
The start of Besiktas, which lost 0-1 to Istanbul Basaksehir last week, was as desired on Saturday. However, help was needed from the home team. David Jensen, with a past at FC Utrecht, made an ugly mistake with a free kick by wing attacker Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and the Dane was unable to recover that blunder in time: 0-1. In the 26th minute, Istanbulspor was helped to equalize. Ersin Destanoglu didn’t seem to mind and the ball disappeared into the net via the Besiktas goalkeeper: 1-1.
Seven minutes before half time, Besiktas took the lead again. The alert Weghorst can tap in from close by after a cross from Gedson Fernandes: 1-2. Even more setback for Istanbulspor, because three minutes before halftime, center defender Mehmet Yesil dropped out with an injury. After five minutes of injury time, the halftime signal sounded, so Besiktas had a tiny lead. Seven minutes after the break, Weghorst appeared to be getting a yellow card after tackling an opponent, but the referee changed his mind and kept the cards in his pocket. Istanbulspor gradually had the ball more and more during the second half and thus pushed Besiktas further back.
Istanbulspor’s attacking drive resulted in the equalizer in the 86th minute. Ali Yasar went behind a free kick and the left-footed midfielder drove the ball full into the top corner, to the delight of everyone and everyone at the home club. The previously blundering Jensen prevented Besiktas from taking another lead in minute 89 with a fabulous save on a shot from edge sixteen by Tayfur Bingol. Six minutes of stoppage time were added, but that was not enough for either team to produce the winning goal.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adana Demirspor | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16 |
| 3 | Besiktas | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 |
| 4 | Konyaspori | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 |
| 5 | Medipol Basaksehir | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 13 |
| 6 | Kayserispor | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| 7 | Gaziantep FC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| 8 | Fenerbahce | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
| 9 | Trabzonspor | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Kasımpasa | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | -8 | 9 |
| 11 | Alanyaspor | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 | Giresunspor | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
| 13 | Antalyaspor | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -6 | 6 |
| 14 | Fatih Karagumrük | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | stanbulspor | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -6 | 5 |
| 16 | Sivasspor | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -5 | 4 |
| 17 | mraniyespor | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -5 | 2 |
| 18 | Ankaragücü | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 1 |
| 19 | Hatayspor | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -8 | 1 |