Besiktas' fans celebrate their 2016-2017 Turkish league champion title after the Turkish Spor Toto Super league football match between Besiktas and Osmanlispor near the Vodafone Park stadium on June 3, 2017 in Istanbul. / AFP PHOTO / YASIN AKGUL (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)
Beşiktaş maintained their superb start to the Trendyol Süper Lig campaign on Friday night, delivering a professional 3–0 victory over Erzurumspor FK under the lights at Tüpraş Stadium.
Fresh off their high-octane 2–1 derby win over Fenerbahçe last weekend, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side showed no signs of a letdown in Dolmabahçe. The Black Eagles dictated tempo from the opening whistle, controlling midfield possession and keeping the visitors pinned deep in their own half.
Vlahović Strikes Again as Miretti Pulls the Strings
The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute when Juventus loan star Fabio Miretti unlocked the Erzurumspor backline with a precise, threaded pass into the penalty box. In-form striker Dušan Vlahović latched onto the feed, calmly finishing past the goalkeeper to make it 1–0 and record his 5th goal in 5 league matches.
Beşiktaş doubled their advantage shortly before the interval. In the 41st minute, Semih Kılıçsoy surged down the left wing before whipping a dangerous cross into the box. Miretti capped off a dominant first-half display by arriving late to sweep the ball into the bottom corner, sending the home crowd into rapture.
Trossard Cameo and Late Polish Polish
Van Bronckhorst turned to his bench in the second half to manage player workloads ahead of upcoming midweek European fixtures. Belgian winger Leandro Trossard was introduced on the hour mark, instantly adding flair and directness to the Black Eagles’ wide attack.
The victory was sealed in the 82nd minute when substitute Gedson Fernandes drove through the center of the pitch before laying off to Milot Rashica, who fired home a crisp finish to make it 3–0 and cap off a dominant evening.
The result temporarily moves Beşiktaş to the top of the Trendyol Süper Lig table on 13 points, placing the pressure back on title rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe ahead of their respective Matchday 5 fixtures over the weekend.