Beşiktaş extends stay atop Süper Lig table

Beşiktaş beat 10-man Galatasaray with a 2-0 win in a Turkish Süper Lig game on Jan. 17's night to remain atop the league standings after 18 games.

Neither team was able to break the deadlock in the first half of the Istanbul derby at Beşiktaş's Vodafone Park.

The 58th minute of the game marked a turning point when Galatasaray's Senegalese forward Mbaye Diagne was shown a red card after a foul against Francisco Montero to leave the visiting side with 10 players on the pitch.

Josef De Souza scored a close-range opener for Beşiktaş in the 79th minute, while Georges-Kevin N'Koudou added another in the dying minutes of the game.

Beşiktaş with its victory increased its points tally to 38 to lead three points ahead of Fenerbahçe, which was to play Ankaragücü at home late on Jan. 18.

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim was critical of Diagne after the match.

"Having a player sent off in the 58th minute of the match is not an event that any coach would want or expect," he said, adding that he agreed with the referee on the decision.

"In these weather conditions, it is not easy to play with 10 men on a heavy pitch. It is not easy to get a result when you are a man down in derby games. We have fulfilled our plans in a defensive sense, but it cannot be said that we are successful in the offense. Obviously, this saddens me. We need to be much better in the front."

On the other hand, Beşiktaş coach Sergen Yalçın was all praises for his players.

"We prepared well, we analyzed our opponent well, and our game plan was correct," Yalçın said.

"Our guys played devotedly both in offense and defense. I thank and congratulate them all," he added.

While Beşiktaş supporters enjoy the derby victory, Fenebahçe fans are...