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Besiktas's remarkable away form this season unraveled in the cruelest fashion on Sunday as Kerem Akturkoglu converted a penalty in the 101st minute to hand Fenerbahce a 1-0 victory in the Istanbul derby, ending Besiktas's 11-match unbeaten run away from home and leaving the black-and-whites without a single derby victory in the 2024-25 Süper Lig season.
The match, played at the Chobani Stadium in Kadikoy in Week 28 of the Trendyol Süper Lig, appeared destined for a goalless draw before the late penalty shattered Besiktas's hopes. The result left Besiktas on 52 points, holding onto fourth place in the table, though the manner of the defeat will sting well beyond the standings.
For long stretches, it was Besiktas goalkeeper Ersin Destanoglu who was the defining figure of the match. The young shot-stopper produced a string of commanding saves throughout the contest, denying Fenerbahce on multiple clear-cut occasions.
His most notable interventions came against Kerem Akturkoglu and Sidiki Cherif, who had each found themselves in promising positions in the final stages, only to be turned away by the Besiktas custodian. Destanoglu was ultimately beaten from the spot when he could do nothing about the eventual decisive penalty, but his performance earned him recognition as the standout player from the Besiktas side.
Sunday's loss completed a miserable sweep of the season's four Istanbul derbies for Besiktas, who failed to win any of them. The campaign opened with a 1-1 draw away to Galatasaray, followed by a home fixture in which Besiktas led Fenerbahce 2-0, only to concede three goals and lose 3-2.
A 1-0 home defeat to Galatasaray came next, and the season's final derby brought the same scoreline, this time in favor of Fenerbahce.
It is a painful derby record for a club that had previously shown strong form in Kadikoy, winning there 1-0 in last season's league fixture and defeating Fenerbahce 2-1 in this season's Ziraat Türkiye Kupasi before Sunday's reversal.
The evening brought further difficulties beyond the result. Defender Amir Murillo was forced off at half-time after taking a blow to the face during a clash with Archie Brown in the 36th minute.
The Panamanian international was taken to hospital for precautionary checks at the interval, with Gokhan Sazdagi entering the pitch in his place at the start of the second half. Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi also faces a suspension after collecting a yellow card in the 52nd minute, his fourth booking of the season following cautions against Eyüpspor, Goztepe, and Kasimpasa.
The Nigerian international, who was already carrying an injury that saw him replaced by Salih Ucan in the 86th minute, will now miss Besiktas's next fixture against Antalyaspor.
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