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Resurgent Black Eagles add EsEs to casualty list
Bursaspor players celebrate one of their six Turkcell Super League goals against hapless İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor. (bottom)
The victory, though by the slightest of margins, was more than enough to give the depleted Eagles the maximum points, extend their winning streak to three games and put them back in the championship race. And the fact that they accomplished this feat with a depleted side, missing prolific German midfielder Fabian Ernst and Algerian-born Italian defender Matteo Ferrari, who were red-carded in last weekend’s match against Kasımpaşa, made this victory even sweeter.
Will wonders never cease! Not too long ago, in week seven to be more accurate, the Eagles had only six points from one win, three draws and two losses and had already been written off from this season’s title race by the naysayers in the local sports media.
Moreover the Eagles were pointless in their UEFA Champions League Group B and had become a laughing stock. Talking about Beşiktaş then was like talking about the economic crisis in Turkey -- every Tom, Dick or Harry had something to say. And the faithful fans were hopping mad.
Things have changed, and those bad old days at Beşiktaş seem to have gone for good. The Eagles now have 18 points from 10 matches, which puts them within reach of the league frontrunners. Furthermore they are no longer pointless in the Champions League after last Wednesday’s 0-0 away draw with German champion VfL Wolfsburg.
The Eagles are winning by slim margins in the league, but nonetheless their faithful adherents are happy and everyone in the Beşiktaş camp is smiling again.
But embattled coach Mustafa Denizli was not a very happy man on Saturday. “Winning alone is not enough [for me],” the 60-year-old coach said after the match. “I can say I was happy with the score, but not with the play. We need to add some flair to our performance.”
Goal feast at Bursa
The Black Eagles struggled to beat EsEs away, but there was a goal feast earlier in the day, when the Bursa Green Crocs crushed İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor 6-0 at Bursa Atatürk Stadium. The victory increased Bursa’s points to 19 from seven wins, one draw and two losses in 10 outings -- an outstanding performance from an Anatolian team.
Undisciplined İstanbul BşB completed the match with eight men after Guinean striker Kanfory Sylla was sent off in the 56th minute, striker İbrahim Akın in the 62nd and midfielder Okan Buruk in the first minute of injury time (91st). But that was none of Bursaspor’s business. İstanbul BşB coach Abdullah Avcı must teach his players how to control their tempers and also to stop arguing unnecessarily with the referee.
Deputy captain-defender Ömer Erdoğan opened the scoring in the 12th minute, midfielder Ozan İpek made it 2-0 in the 43rd and Argentine midfielder Pablo Batalla scored two minutes before halftime to make it 3-0.
The Crocs ran riot after İstanbul BşB was reduced to 10 men and got their fourth goal through midfielder Volkan Şen in the 66th. Striker Turgay Bahadir made it 5-0 in the 74th, when İstanbul BşB was playing with nine men and defensive Ali Tandoğan sealed the score at 6-0 nine minutes from time (81st).
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