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Vaclav Cerny scored in stoppage time to give Besiktas a 2-1 victory over Fenerbahce in the opening match of Turkish Cup Group C on Tuesday, ending the home side's 16-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
The Czech winger found the net in the 90+1 minute at Chobani Stadium, breaking a 1-1 deadlock to secure three points for the visiting side. The result marked Fenerbahce's first defeat since their last loss came 16 matches ago, a run that included 11 victories and five draws across the UEFA Europa League, Super Lig, and domestic cup competitions.
Cerny had earlier opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, receiving a pass from Tammy Abraham on the right side of the penalty area before firing home. Fenerbahce equalized just before halftime through Marco Asensio's penalty in the 43rd minute, after referee Oguzhan Cakir consulted VAR and ruled that Abraham had fouled Mert Muldur.
The match appeared headed for a draw until Cerny struck again in added time, collecting a long pass from Milot Rashica on the right flank, cutting inside past Jayden Oosterwolde, and driving a low shot into the net.
The victory extended Besiktas's unbeaten run to seven matches following their 3-2 league defeat to Fenerbahce earlier in the season. During that stretch, the black-and-whites have recorded four wins and three draws under manager Sergen Yalcin.
Fenerbahce goalkeeper Tarik Cetin made several crucial saves to keep his side in the contest, denying Besiktas opportunities in the 45+1, 55th, and 58th minutes. The 40-year-old Domenico Tedesco fielded a severely depleted squad, missing 13 players due to various circumstances including suspensions, injuries, national team duty, and special leave.
Tedesco made four changes from Fenerbahce's previous match, bringing in Tarik Cetin, Bartug Elmaz, Sebastian Szymanski, and Oguz Aydin to replace the absent Fred Rodrigues (suspended), Jhon Duran and Ederson Moraes (special leave), and Anderson Talisca (suspended).
The manager also included five youth academy players on the bench: 18-year-old goalkeeper Engin Can Biterge, 17-year-old defender Kamil Efe Uregen, 18-year-old winger Haydar Karatas, 16-year-old winger Alaettin Ekici, and 17-year-old midfielder Mustafa Serhan Kok.
For Besiktas, Yalcin made five changes from the team that defeated Caykur Rizespor 1-0 in their last league fixture. Notably absent from the squad was Portuguese forward Rafa Silva, who last appeared for Besiktas in the November 2 league derby against Fenerbahce.
Despite the match being played midweek and broadcast on free-to-air television, Fenerbahce supporters filled much of the stadium, while approximately 2,000 Besiktas fans traveled to support their team. Before kickoff, players from both teams carried a banner reading "Palestine is not alone. January 1, 08:30 Galata," inviting citizens to attend a demonstration at Galata Bridge protesting the ongoing violence in Gaza.
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