Crystal Palace were denied a famous Europa League win in Istanbul as Junior Olaitan's 73rd-minute equaliser rescued a 2-2 draw for Besiktas, who finished with ten men. Wilfred Ndidi's stoppage-time strike had put the hosts ahead, Yeremy Pino and Jean-Philippe Mateta turned the game in four second-half minutes, and Pierre Sage's side were left to rue what might have been.
Ndidi strikes after Mateta's early heartbreak
Palace thought they had made a dream start when Mateta found the net after six minutes, only for VAR to cancel the goal, as TNT Sports' live commentary recorded. It set the tone for a night of fine margins in a deafening Tupras Stadium, with Adam Wharton captaining a Palace side desperate for a response after Sunday's 5-0 humiliation at Brighton — the defeat that turned up the pressure on Sage.
Besiktas, winners of their first two league-phase games, carried the greater threat and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. Salih Ozcan, on for the injured Fabio Miretti, delivered and Ndidi — the Nigeria international anchoring the home midfield — struck the opener at 45+2 minutes, sending the home crowd into raptures.
Pino and Mateta flip it, Olaitan flips it back
Palace, it should be said, had not come to hide. With Dean Henderson injured, Walter Benitez started in goal behind a back three of Jaydee Canvot, Axel Disasi and Chris Richards, and Sage's side pressed high from the first whistle in a stadium where Besiktas had won every home match this season in all competitions. That intent made for an open, end-to-end contest — exactly the kind of game the home crowd wanted, and exactly the kind Palace's fragile defence has struggled to control in recent weeks.
Palace emerged transformed after the break. Six minutes after the restart Pino levelled, finishing from Anan Khalaili's assist with the goal confirmed after a VAR check, and four minutes later Mateta made up for his disallowed effort by putting the Eagles 2-1 ahead. For twenty minutes, Sage's side were heading for the result that would have transformed his position and their European season.
Besiktas threw everything forward, turned to their bench and got their reward on 73 minutes when substitute Olaitan — who had replaced Kartal Yilmaz nine minutes earlier — struck the equaliser. The hosts' celebrations were cut short four minutes later when Umit Akdag, already booked, was shown a straight red card, and Palace pushed for a winner against ten men, Eddie Nketiah firing one late effort off target, as Complete Sports' match centre recorded. Dusan Vlahovic was thrown on for the hosts but there was no late winner either way.
For Palace, the draw follows the 3-2 defeat at Lyon on Matchday 2 — twice in a week they have led in the second half of a European away game and failed to win it.
So what: a point that helps Besiktas more
Besiktas move to seven points from three games, unbeaten and firmly inside the top eight picture; a point with ten men, from 2-1 down, will feel like a victory in Istanbul. They visit Celtic Park on Matchday 4, on Thursday 5 November, to face a Celtic side still without a point.
Palace have four points and remain in the play-off places, but the pattern is troubling: leads are not being protected, and the defensive frailty of the Brighton defeat has not been cured. Sage's side host Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday and then Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park on Matchday 4 — a game that now carries real weight for both his team and his job.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Palace played with courage in one of Europe's most hostile away grounds and Mateta and Pino delivered the goals Sage needed — but a team that cannot hold a lead for twenty minutes will keep living on the edge. The point buys Sage time, not safety, and Ndidi's opener was a reminder that Besiktas's African engine room is driving their European run. Was a draw in Istanbul a good result for Palace, or two points dropped? Let us know in the comments.
