(GSM) Besiktas suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday, a painful one at that as the local derby with Istanbul BB ended 0-2.
After taking three points from their opening match last week, Besiktas expected to do the same against a generally much weaker Istanbul BB side.
But the hosts failed to score in the opening half in Turkey s largest city, and it was in fact Istanbul BB s Iskender Alin to break the deadlock three minutes before the end.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who scored four goals in the entire 2009-10 season, went on to add another in added time for a surprise 0-2 result.
In the other match of the day, Sivasspor were held to a 1-1 draw at Antalyaspor.
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Croatia striker Nikica Jelavic is leaving Rapid Vienna for Scottish champions Rangers, the Austrian side announced on Thursday.
The announcement came after Jelavic refused to play for his team in Thursday s Europa League play-off against Aston Villa, according to club president Rudolf Edlinger.
Against all expectations, Nikica Jelavic said today he no longer wanted to play for Rapid, Edlinger told a press conference.
That s a shock for the whole Rapid family.
Anyone who goes through with such a decision has no place here anymore, he added.
Over the past few weeks, Rapid had already turned down several offers from Rangers for the 24-year-old Jelavic, insisting he would play against Aston Villa.
If he had appeared in Thursday s game, th…
Sunderland manager Sam Alardyce has challenged Steven Fletcher to earn himself a new deal at the club,.
The Scotland international bagged his third goal of the season as the Black Cats thumped rivals Newcastle United last time out.
That result saw Sunderland move above Newcastle United and to within two points of seventeenth place Bournemouth, and Allardyce is keen to build on last week’s derby win as he looks to maintain his record of never being relegated from the Premier League.
Shrewsbury-born Fletcher has played one hundred times since moving to the Stadium of Light from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2012, scoring twenty-two goals while he has been capped for twenty-five times for his country, scoring eight times.
The North East sid…
Italian daily newspaper Tuttosport understands that Bologna are in talks to sign Ivorian attacker Aruna Dindane.
Felsinei are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements after selling key player Alessandro Diamanti to Guangzhou, and they look set to take a gamble with the Ivory Coast striker.
According to Tuttosport, Aruna Dindane has arrived in Italy to negotiate a short-term contract with Bologna.
As a free agent, the 33-year-old can be signed outside the transfer window, but it remains to be seen whether he can reach an agreement with the Renato dall Ara outfit.
Aruna Dindane played for ASEC Mimosas, Anderlecht and Lens before arriving on loan at Portsmouth, where he impressed to score 8 goals in 19 Premier League outings.
His career started…
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has described Paris Saint-Germain s hierarchy as magicians in a broadside aimed at the club in relation to their finances.
Ahead of his side s clash with PSG in the Champions League, De Laurentiis revived complaints he has made about the French champions and their commitment to UEFA s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
In September, UEFA re-opened an investigation into PSG s finances after they had initially been cleared of breaking FFP rules.
De Laurentiis was quoted as describing Neymar s €222million transfer from Barcelona to PSG as pathetic and vulgar in 2017 and, in an interview with Le Parisien, he reiterated his grievances.
PSG have a great strength, thanks to the fact that they have no economic probl…
Ralph Hasenhuttl is up for the challenge of steering Southampton to safety as he looks to make his mark in the Premier League.
The Austrian coach signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the struggling Saints to replace Mark Hughes, who was sacked on Monday with the club sitting in the relegation zone.
Hasenhuttl left his post at RB Leipzig in May after two successful seasons at the helm, including steering them to second place behind Bayern Munich in 2016-17.
Having had a break from the game since departing the Bundesliga club, he admitted at his introductory press conference that a move to English football always felt like a logical step in his career.
I want to put my footsteps in the snow here, Hasenhuttl who steered Inglostadt to promotion from…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp named Darwin Nunez and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench as his team prepared to face Manchester City in the Premier League.
Despite scoring in each of his last two appearances, Nunez made way in the Liverpool attack, along with Fabio Carvalho, following the 7-1 Champions League win at Rangers. Diogo Jota and Ibrox hat-trick hero Mohamed Salah came in.
Alexander-Arnold had been expected to miss Sunday s fixture entirely after suffering an ankle injury in the 3-2 loss at Arsenal, but he was surprisingly among the substitutes for the clash at Anfield.
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James Milner got the nod to start at right-back in place of centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who missed out…
It could be a busy off-season for Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are reportedly high on Madrid s list of targets.
However, Robert Lewandowski and Paul Pogba are also believed to be of interest.
TOP STORY – LEWANDOWSKI POGBA WANTED IN MADRID
Real Madrid are eyeing Bayern Munich talisman Robert Lewandowski and Manchester United star Paul Pogba, according to the front page of Saturday s Diario AS.
Lewandowski s future in Munich is reportedly uncertain and the Poland international could leave as Bayern eye in-demand Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland.
Saturday s report claims Lewandowski will prioritise a move to Madrid, who are determined to sign Paris Saint-Germain s Kylian Mbappe having also been linked…
There was more late drama in Costa Rica s Primera Division on Wednesday, with Deportivo Saprissa and Alajuelense winning their semi-finals.
Alajuelense came from 1-0 down in their second leg at home to Herediano, to win 3-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate to reach the Clausura final.
The rivalry between the two clubs has been a fierce one of late, with Alajuelense denying Herediano in four Apertura finals since 2010 before beating them in the semi-final stage on Wednesday to preserve their dominance in the Provincial Classic.
Dave Myrie had put Herediano ahead at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, only for three quick-fire goals from the hosts to turn the tie on its head.
Just as they had done in the first leg, when Ariel Rodriguez equalised on 87 m…
Stoke City striker Peter Crouch believes England s young squad can help Wayne Rooney shine at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The Manchester United forward is preparing to head to his third World Cup, having carried great expectations when representing his country at previous tournaments.
But Crouch, who represented England on the biggest stage of all in 2006 and 2010, feels the inclusion of talented youngsters such as Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling could ease the burden on Rooney when the competition gets under way next month.
They (the younger players) won t have respect for people and will just go out there and do what they know they can do, he is quoted as saying in the British press. It will certainly benefit us and Wayne.
The last two World Cups have al…