Share

Besiktas made to wait for last-16 place

Paris - Turkish champions Besiktas missed a chance to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League as they drew 1-1 with Monaco in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The home side needed a penalty from Cenk Tosun in the second half to earn a point after Rony Lopes had given Monaco the lead just prior to the interval.

Besiktas, who had won their opening three games in Group G, would have been confirmed qualifiers for the knockout phase with a victory at their Vodafone Park.

But the draw could still see them through with two matches to spare, provided RB Leipzig beat Porto in Portugal later (1945 GMT).

Meanwhile, having thrilled Europe on their run to the semi-finals last season, Monaco -- without the injured Radamel Falcao here -- moved closer to an early exit.

The principality side remain bottom of the group with just two points from four games, two fewer than Leipzig before the German side play later.

Monaco acquitted themselves very well in a cauldron-like atmosphere and also had to cope with losing French international winger Thomas Lemar to a shoulder injury within 26 minutes.

They went ahead in stoppage time at the end of the first half when Joao Moutinho intercepted an Adriano Correia pass and fed Lopes, who took a touch before curling a left-foot shot into the net from 20 yards.

But Besiktas were gifted the chance to draw level seven minutes after the restart as Jorge brought down Ricardo Quaresma in the box and Cenk Tosun, the Turkish international striker, scored the resulting spot-kick.

Both sides had chances to win it after that, with Keita Balde squandering a golden opportunity for the visitors in added time.

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich both sealed qualification from Group B on Tuesday.

Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur all have the chance to join them in the last 16 when they play later on Wednesday.

City are away at Napoli while Spurs play Madrid at Wembley with the winner guaranteed to progress.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE