Besiktas 3-0 Rizespor: Reigning Super Lig champions kick the new season off with a win

Besiktas kicked off their league campaign with a 3-0 win over Rizespor at the Vodafone Park stadium on Friday.

The reigning Super Lig and Turkish Cup champions got the 2021-22 campaign off to a great start.

READ: Chelsea striker drops transfer hint amid reports that he is close to joining Besiktas

Kevin N’Koudou opened the scoring on nine minutes, Atiba Hutchinson scored on 52 minutes and Cyle Larin in the third minute of additional time.

Summer signings Salih Ucan and Kenan Karaman made their full debuts.

Ucan put on an impressive display in central midfield.

Rachid Ghezzal who joined Leicester City on a permanent move this summer after spending last season on loan also started.

Summer signing Alex Teixeira who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk did not make his debut as he was not registered in time.

Michy Batshuayi could also end up joining the Black Eagles this week as revealed by Sergen Yalcin after the game.

Yalcin said: “Batshuayi will be here next week if nothing goes wrong. We have the players we want, we pay well and we will play in the Champions League. This situation strengthens our hand.”

Besiktas face Gaziantep next on Saturday 21 August in the league.

Beşiktaş 3 – 0 Çaykur Rizespor

Stadium: Vodafone Park
Referee: Zorbay Küçük, Kemal Yılmaz, Hakan Yemişken

Beşiktaş: Ersin Destanoğlu, Rosier, Welinton, Vida, N’Sakala, De Souza, Ghezzal (min. 78 Gökhan Töre), Atiba (min. 88 Necip Uysal), Salih Uçan (min. 70 Oğuzhan Özyakup), N’Koudou (min. 69 Larin), Kenan Karaman (min. 78 Güven Yalçın)

Çaykur Rizespor: Gökhan Akkan, Baiano (min. 88 Eren Karadağ), Selim Ay, Holmen, Cemali Sertel (min. 82 Alberk Koç), Djokovic, Alper Potuk, Dabo (Dk. 67 Yasin Pehlivan), Mendes (min. 82 Mahsun Çapkan), Sabo, Remy (min. 67 Emir Dilaver)

Goals: min. 9 N’Koudou, min. 52 Atiba, min. 90+3 Larin (Beşiktaş)

Yellow Cards: min. 33 Sabo (Çaykur Rizespor), min. 45 Welinton, min. 84 Güven Yalçın (Beşiktaş)