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Wonders will never cease: Black Eagles now trail Canaries by just one point
A goal by Brazilian striker Bobo was the only thing that separated the two teams, but it was enough to give the Eagles three precious points and throw the league title race wide open with only three matches left before the end of the season’s first half.
Think about it. The Eagles had only nine points in week 8 and were trailing then-undefeated Fenerbahçe with 24 maximum points by 15 points. The then-second-place Galatasaray Lions had 19 points from six wins, one draw and one loss and led Beşiktaş by 10 points.
And there was talk that the Fener Canaries could be crowned champions at the end of the season’s first half. But life’s not a bed of roses in the Turkcell Super League.
The 17-team league picture has changed considerably after the weekend’s league matches in which Galatasaray was beaten 1-0 away by Bursaspor on Friday and Fenerbahçe was trounced 3-1 by struggling Kasımpaşa in a match that was played behind closed doors at FB Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium the day after.
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The Beşiktaş Black Eagles, who have garnered 24 maximum points in eight matches, have now moved up to second place; Bursaspor is third and Galatasaray fourth.
What was unthinkable just a few weeks ago has suddenly become a reality. And it looks like a carbon copy of last season when Beşiktaş came from behind to clinch the league championship.
As a reminder, the Eagles were sixth at the end of the winter break last December but rebounded in the second half of the season to win the 2008-09 title and crown the season with a domestic double.
“It is important not to drop points as we continue on our journey,” Beşiktaş coach Mustafa Denizli said after the match.
“At the end of week 6 we had only six points, but now we trail Fenerbahçe by only one. We could finish the first half of the season as leaders, but it is not that important. What is more important is that we are playing good soccer and winning,” he added.
And this victory coming four days after Beşiktaş humiliated mighty Manchester United 1-0 in their UEFA Champions League Group B match at Old Trafford must have made Denizli the happiest man in the land.
Denizli, once pilloried from all sides by the sports media and insulted by Beşiktaş fans who were calling for his head, has suddenly turned from villain to hero.
Other Super League results on Sunday: Ankaragücü 1, Denizlispor 0; Antalyaspor 2, Gençlerbirliği 0; İstanbul BşB 1, Gaziantepspor 1; Manisaspor 0, Kayserispor 1; Trabzonspor 2, Eskisehirspor 1 (and Diyarbakirspor 3, Ankaraspor 0 default).
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