Beşiktaş beat Partizan 2-1 in the Europa League Group C with both the home sides goals coming from Demba Ba.
Slaven Bilic started with a defensively minded 4-2-3-1 setup, which was a surprise considering Beşiktaş beat Partizan 4-0 in Serbia.
Atiba Hutchinson and Veli Kavlak were deployed to sweep up in front of the back four while Oğuzhan Özyakup pulled the strings in midfield.
Gökhan Töre and Olcay Şahan started wide while Demba Ba started upfront. Left-back Ramon Motta was given license to roam forwards while İsmail Koybaşı played a more defensive role on the right.
Beşiktaş dominated from the get go and controlled 58 percent possession throughout the game.
Partizan were content to sit back and try to soak up the pressure but they were exploited on the wings with the Beşiktaş fullbacks bombing forwards and doubling up with Töre and Şahan.
Tomas Sivok had a goal disallowed mid-way through the first half but by that stage it was looking like a case of when Beşiktaş will score not if.
The opening goal came as a result of Töre winning a penalty on 57 minutes which Ba converted.
Partizan tried to push forwards in search for the equaliser but Beşiktaş showed just how dangerous they can be on the counter attack.
Özyakup received the ball in his own half and showed great vision and passing technique to spot Töre’s forward run. The Turkish international winger burst forwards and assisted Ba with his second of the evening.
Töre and Ba – both former Chelsea players – combined for both Beşiktaş’s goals.
Ba broke a record in the process, becoming the first Beşiktaş player to score seven goals in European competition in one season. The Senegalese international has a total of nine goals and two assists in all competitions this season.
Töre had an outstanding game, playing a key role in both goals and completing the highest number of successful dribbles in the game (5).
Beşiktaş were made to pay for taking their foot off the gas late on when Markovic found space outside the penalty area and put the ball past goalkeeper Cenk with a powerful effort.
Partizan gave the Black Eagles a few nervy moments in the last few minutes of the game and forced Cenk to make a terrific save just before the final whistle.
The win saw Beşiktaş take their point tally up to 8 points, level with Tottenham who beat Asteras 2-1, at the top of Group C.
Besiktas 2 – 1 Partizan
Stadium: Olimpiyat
Referee: Alexandru Dan Tudor
Beşiktaş: Cenk, İsmail, Sivok, Franco, Motta, Gökhan Töre, Veli Kavlak, Atiba, Oğuzhan, Olcay, Demba Ba
Partizan: Lukac, Volkov, Stankovic, Cirkovic, Stevanovic, Ninkovic, Grbic, Drincic, Markovic, Pantic, Skuletic
Goals: .57 & .62 Demba Ba (Besiktas), .78 Marković (Partizan)
