Beşiktaş win 2021 Turkish Süper Lig title

Beşiktaş seized the Turkish Süper Lig title for the 16th time on May 15 night with a 2-1 win away to Göztepe, clinching the title on goal difference ahead of its Istanbul rival Galatasaray in a tense end to the season.

The three-team title race, with Fenerbahçe finishing two points behind in third, went down to the final day after Beşiktaş suffered back-to-back defeats against Galatasaray and Karagümrük.

Galatasaray briefly led the as-it-stood table when Ryan Babel's goal saw the club come from behind to lead Malatyaspor 2-1 after an hour.

But Beşiktaş edged back ahead when Algeria international Rachid Ghezzal netted a 69th-minute penalty at Göztepe and it held on for all three points and the narrowest of title triumphs.

On-loan midfielder Ghezzal's championship-winning goal was scored on the same day his parent club Leicester won the English FA Cup for the first time in its history.

Beşiktaş defender Domagoj Vida had given the visiting side an early lead, but it was canceled out by Alpaslan Öztürk's equalizer.

Galatasaray, coached by ex-Turkey manager Fatih Terim, did net a third in injury-time through Oğulcan Çağlayan, but had to settle for a 3-1 victory to come up two goals short, with Beşiktaş having also scored more across the season.

Fenerbahçe won 2-1 against Kayserispor.

The usual wild celebrations of champions in Turkey's largest city were muted, with the country under lockdown due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

The victory brought relief to Beşiktaş after a nervous end to the season, with defeats in its previous two matches. Last weekend it lost 3-1 away to Galatasaray, which won its final six games.

Beşiktaş last won the Süper Lig title...