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Black Eagles grab first Champion League point to boost survival hopes
Ahead of Wednesday night’s match, the players were disappointed by the dismal results, but were not at all downhearted, and they all said confidently that this game would mark a turning point in their fortunes.
“It’s going to be a tough encounter, but all matches in the Champions League are tough. We are going to Germany to win,” Beşiktaş defender Toraman said before he and his team departed for Wolfsburg on Monday. German midfielder Fabian Ernst concurred.
Maybe the Eagles did not win because “master forecaster” Toraman, who has just recovered from a long-term left knee injury, was not on the field. But at least the Eagles did not lose and so this draw can be viewed as a step in the right direction. Coach Mustafa Denizli agreed.
“The one point we earned is a great advantage,” Denizli said after the match. “The games against Manchester [United] and CSKA were ones we shouldn’t have lost. Nevertheless earning one point away against the German champion is very important for it could be t he point the reopens the path for Beşiktaş’s European campaign,” he added.
Match report
German champion VfL Wolfsburg, playing in front of its home fans, naturally had the better chances until the ejection of Brazilian forward Edinaldo Batista Libano, simply known as Grafite, in the 74th minute. The Eagles threatened more with a one-man advantage.
Grafite was sent off for striking the face of İbrahim Kaş as the two jostled in front of the Beşiktaş goal before a corner kick. Grafite scored a hat trick in Wolfsburg’s 3-1 over CSKA Moscow on Matchday 1, but the Brazilian has not found the net for five weeks now and the red card appeared to be the result of his frustration.
Wednesday’s outcome left Manchester United firmly in control of Group B with nine maximum points after the Red Devils notched their third win in three games with a 1-0 victory at CSKA Moscow. Wolfsburg has four points, CSKA has three and Beşiktaş has one.
There are still three games to go, so the battle is not yet won or lost. The Eagles will host both CSKA and Wolfsburg in İstanbul and face Man United at Old Trafford. Things could change drastically.
While Wolfsburg seemingly attacked more on Wednesday night, the Eagles looked dangerous on counterattacks and played defensively.
Wolfsburg’s goalkeeper Diego Benaglio smothered a shot from Beşiktaş defender Kaş. Marcel Schaefer then tested Beşiktaş keeper Rüştü Reçber, who dropped the ball but it was cleared by his defenders. Benaglio was forced make a diving save to foil striker Bobo, who then set up Rodrigo Tello, whose shot went wide.
Rüştü came off his line early in the second half but mistimed his clearance to leave an empty net, only for Christian Gentner to fire high. The Eagles also had a good chance when Bobo broke through, but he shot wildly off the target.
The match had to be interrupted briefly in the 60th minute because of the smoke from flares lit by the fans. The smoke, drifting from the stands, stung Rüştü’s eyes, and the Beşiktaş goalkeeper was grateful for the brief break.
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