Partizan routed by Besiktas in Belgrade

BELGRADE - Partizan Belgrade lost to Turkey's Besiktas Istanbul 4-0 at home in Round 3 of the UEFA Europa League late Thursday.

It is Partizan's second defeat in the competition - they are now bottom of the group table with one draw, while Besiktas are tied with Tottenham Hotspur at the top.

The away side's forwards scored two routine goals in each half, and Besiktas's performance suggested that a victory would have been certain for the Turks even against much stronger opposition than Partizan.

In a display of good sportsmanship, the Besiktas head coach, Croatia's Slaven Bilic, saluted the Partizan fans after the match and was applauded off the pitch.

However, Besiktas fans went on a violent spree, causing incidents in Belgrade, and 19 of them were detained by the police as a result.

According to a statement issued by the police, 15 Turkish supporters were detained for using pyrotechnic devices and four others for violating law and order - two had been involved in a fight, while the other two had smashed a window of a public transportation vehicle.

Photo Tanjug/Z. Zestic