Besiktas, Galatasaray give no ground in title fight

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Super Lig title contenders Besiktas and Galatasaray both claimed victories on Wednesday, giving no ground in their quest for the title crown.

Besiktas defeated Black Sea side Caykur Rizespor 3-2 in an away game with Kevin N'Koudou giving the Istanbul team the lead, assisted by Rachid Ghezzal who made his 16th assist in the Super Lig, more than any other league player.

In the second half, Gokhan Tore doubled his team's lead and Ghezzal sent a stunning long-range strike to make the score 3-0.

A sensational free-kick goal from Ismail Koybasi and Damjan Dokovic's header helped the home side narrow the deficit with a few minutes remaining in the Rize game, but they were unable to build on this momentum.

In another Wednesday clash, Galatasaray sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Ittifak Holding Konyaspor at Istanbul's Turk Telekom stadium thanks to Emre Akbaba's late goal in the 87th minute.

With the midweek results, Besiktas stays on top of the Super Lig with 78 points in 36 games, with Galatasaray close on their heels with 72 points.

The race may get tighter on Thursday when Istanbul’s Fenerbahce, who also have 72 points, are set to face Aytemiz Alanyaspor.