Tolga Zengin

Defending champion Beşiktaş took another step to retaining its Turkish Super League title, moving five points clear at the top of the league with an April 2 win over Ankara's Gençlerbirliği at home.

The visiting side from Ankara started the game by pressing Beşiktaş's defenders and midfielders high up the pitch.

Brazilian substitute Anderson Talisca scored a stunning stoppage-time free kick against his own club to earn Beşiktaş a 1-1 draw at former European Cup winner Benfica in a Champions League Group B match late on Sept. 13. 

Be?ikta? reclaimed the top seat in the Super Toto Super League Feb. 8 after four weeks, in a season which has already turned into a Sisyphus effort, only one day after rival Fenerbahçe failed to find the net at home against Black Sea giants Trabzonspor.

The goal celebration of Beşiktaş’s Senegalese national Demba Ba, who kneels down to prostrate before God after goal, has stirred a religious debate in Turkey, with a popular televangelist declaring it a sin to perform the action in a random direction instead of toward the Kaaba.

Istanbul’s Beşiktaş maintained its top spot in the Turkish Spor Toto Super League, narrowly winning a difficult away game against Central Anatolia’s Torku Konyaspor.

After weathering an early home side storm in the first quarter, the Black and Whites found the net with its first attempt on goal through a 20th-minute strike from Gökhan Töre.

Fenerbahçe beat archrival Beşiktaş 2-0 in the eighth week of the Spor Toto Super League at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to take over the lead in league standings.

Visitor Fenerbahçe was off to a flying start in the third minute as it took the lead in the derby when Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike scored.