Besiktas edge closer to qualification after heated Monaco draw

Updated 01/11/2017 at 19:11 GMT

Champions League, Group G, Vodafone Park - Besiktas 1 (Tosun P 54') Monaco 1 (Lopes 45')

Besiktas' Turkish forward Cenk Tosun celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas and Monaco on November 1, 2017, at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul.

Image credit: Getty Images

Besiktas have edged closer to Champions League qualifcation after a heated 1-1 draw with Monaco in Wednesday's early game.

Coming into the match with a 100% record Besiktas flew out of the blocks when they forced a corner in the opening minute.

Monaco managed to weather the early storm and they took a deserved lead at the end of the half when Rony Lopes cut in from the right and curled the ball into the corner with his left.

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Monaco's Portuguese midfielder Rony Lopes (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas and Monaco on November 1, 2017, at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul.

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Besiktas, roared on by their incredible home support, found the equaliser when Ricardo Quaresma chopped back onto his left in the box and was taken out by Jorge.

Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic got a hand to Cenk Tosun's spot-kick but it was hit too hard and Besiktas were level.

Despite being comfortable at the top of the group Besiktas were frantic in the last 20 minutes or so and a number of fierce challenges started to go in.

Thomas Lemar and Tolgay Arslan both had to leave the field with injuries whilst Gokhan Gonul spent some time down with a sore knee.

Quaresma was lucky not to be sent off right at the death when he kicked out at Andrea Raggi, with the referee deciding it only warranted a yellow card.

TALKING POINT

Besiktas are chaotic, but great fun. Besiktas played the game from start to finish at a million miles an hour. The players seemed to feed on the atmosphere generated by fans and there is no such thing as a hand-brake. Whoever draws them in the knockout rounds is going to be in for a unique experience but they are extremely vulnerable on the counter-attack. It's refreshing to see a team stick to its principles like this though, long may it continue.

Besiktas' Portuguese midfielder Ricardo Quaresma (C) reacts during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas and Monaco on November 1, 2017, at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul

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MAN OF THE MATCH

Fabinho (Monaco) Over the summer as Monaco started to lose their brightest stars the club made a big deal about how they had managed to hang on to Fabinho. Based on tonight's performance you can totally understand why. The midfielder was magnificent, breaking up play, getting Monaco going on counter-attacks and generally trying to keep his team relatively calm amongst the chaos. He's going to improve someone's midfield greatly next summer.

PLAYER RATINGS

Besiktas - Fabri 6, Gonul 5, Pepe 7, Tosic 5, Adriano 5, Hutchinson 6, Tolgay 5, Quaresma 5, Ozyakup 7, Babel 4, Tosun 6. Subs: Medel 5, Mitrovic 5, Talisca 5.

Monaco - Subasic 5, Raggi 6, Glik 6, Jemerson 5, Jorge 4, Tielemans 6, Fabino 8, Lopes 7, Moutinho 5, Lemar 5, Keita 5. Subs: Jovetic 5, Carrillo 5, Diakhaby 5.

KEY MOMENTS

15' - SAVE! And they force Fabri into a good save! It's a good ball in from Lemar and it's flicked towards goal by Tielemans. Fabri does well to parry it away.

37' - CHANCE! Jovetic does well on the left to get in behind and then squares it across goal. Lopes tries to turn it in but a combination of Fabri and the defender get it away.

45' - GOAL! BESIKTAS 0-1 MONACO (LOPES) And Monaco lead! That could be a vital goal for last season's semi-finalists. Lopes picks the ball up just outside the box and he curls the ball into the goal with his left foot. Lovely finish.

Monaco's Portuguese midfielder Rony Lopes celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas and Monaco on November 1, 2017, at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul.

Image credit: Getty Images

53' - PENALTY BESIKTAS! Tielemans loses the ball and the ball is played through to Quaresma. He chops back onto his left and Jorge takes him out in the box. The Brazilian is booked.

54' - GOAL! BESIKTAS 1-1 MONACO (TOSUN) Subasic gets a hand on it but it's struck so well by Tosun and it is in. We're level.

Besiktas' Turkish forward Cenk Tosun (R) celebrates with Besiktas' Turkish defender Gokhan Gonul after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G football match between Besiktas and Monaco on November 1, 2017, at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul

Image credit: Getty Images

58' - HOW HAS THAT NOT GONE IN? A ball slipped through ends up going to Babel. He rounds Subasic but runs into defenders. It falls to Quaresma and whilst he's under pressure he's also got an open goal to aim at, and sends it over.