Beşiktaş move up to the second place on the league table

Beşiktaş earned a critical away win against Kasımpaşa 3-2 on Sunday to cling to the Super Lig’s fierce title race.

Kasımpaşa became a man down in the 15th minute as the home team’s Egyptian defender Karim Hafez was sent off after a foul on Atiba Hutchinson.

Kasımpaşa, however, managed to score the opener nine minutes after Hafez got sent off as Turkish forward Mustafa Pektemek – formerly of Besiktas – gave the 1-0 lead to the Istanbul outfit in the 24th minute.

Besiktas netted the equaliser near the end of the first half as Turkish left-back Caner Erkin scored with a nice volley, capitalising from a cross from full-back Gökhan Gönül

Guinean forward Bengali-Fode Koita made it 2-1 for Kasımpaşa after a counter-attacking effort in the second half, but Beşiktaş pulled even again, thanks to a goal from substitute Umut Nayir. The Black Eagles then started to overload with the hopes of scoring a 3rd goal to get the three points.

Ten men Kasımpaşa couldn’t withstand Besiktas’s pressure as Nayir scored the dramatic winner for his team in the 90+5th minute.

The 3-2 win took the Black Eagles to the number two spot in the Super Lig table. Besiktas now have 27 points in the league led by Sivasspor, who have earned 30 points in 14 matches.

Besiktas got their sixth consecutive league win on Sunday after beating Galatasaray (1-0), Antalyaspor (2-1), Yukatel Denizlispor (1-0), Ittifak Holding Konyaspor (1-0), Istikbal Mobilya Kayserispor (4-1), and Kasımpaşa (3-2).

– At least 5 teams chasing title

This season the Super Lig has seen a relentless race for the title as underdogs Sivasspor are still on top with 30 points.

They are followed by Besiktas with 27 points. Trabzonspor, one of the “Big Four,” are in the number three spot as the Black Sea club bagged 26 points in 14 matches.

Title contenders from Istanbul, Medipol Basaksehir have 26 points as well. Fenerbahce, who won their last league title in 2014, come in fifth with 25 points.

Galatasaray, the Super Lig holders, have 23 points and are trailing from the sixth spot on the table.