Beşiktaş draws with Lausanne, pushing Conference League decider to İstanbul
Beşiktaş was held to a 1-1 draw by Swiss side Lausanne in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off match. The result means the Istanbul giants must win the return leg at home to advance to the league phase. The draw also broke Beşiktaş's three-match winning streak and continued a worrying trend of conceding goals in every game this season.
Beşiktaş was held to a 1-1 draw by Swiss side Lausanne in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off match, leaving the tie wide open for the second leg in Istanbul. The "Black and Whites" struggled to find their rhythm in the first half but managed to go into halftime with a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Milot Rashica just before the break.
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In the second half, both teams had chances to score, but it was the home side that found the equalizer. In the 83rd minute, a corner kick deflected off the knee of Okoh and into the net, leveling the score. Neither team could find a winner in the remaining time, and the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Beşiktaş will now need to win the return leg on Thursday, August 28, in Istanbul to secure their place in the league phase of the competition.
Rashica scores his first goal of the season
Milot Rashica's goal against Lausanne was his first of the season in all competitions. The versatile winger, who started on the right side of midfield, celebrated his first goal in his fourth appearance this season. This also marked his third European goal for Beşiktaş.
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Winning streak snapped, defensive woes continue
The 1-1 draw with Lausanne ended Beşiktaş's three-match winning streak. After a rough start to the season with two losses to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League qualifiers, the team had found their form by beating St. Patrick's twice in the Conference League and winning a Super Lig match against Eyüpspor.
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However, the result also highlighted a worrying defensive trend: Beşiktaş has now conceded a goal in every single one of their six official matches this season. The team has let in a total of 11 goals in those six games, a statistic they will need to address if they hope to succeed both in Europe and domestically.
The decisive second leg will be played in Istanbul, where Beşiktaş will be counting on their home support to push them through to the next round.
