Mustafa Pektemek

Istanbul's Başakşehir swept aside title contender Galatasaray 4-0 on April 10 to continue its pursuit of leader Beşiktaş in a match that was marked by veteran striker Emmanuel Adebayor's stunning hat trick.

Coach Abdullah Avcı's charges remained within touching distance of Beşiktaş, which beat a strong Trabzonspor 4-3 on April 8.

Be?ikta? maintained its lead atop the Spor Toto Super League standings on May 3 with a 2-0 victory at underperforming Black Sea giant Trabzonspor thanks to a pair of second-half goals.

Unable to penetrate each other?s defense, the two sides relied on long-range shots in the first half but failed to register anything on the score sheet.

The close follow-up continues in the Turkish Super League, with no change in the top three for a fourth week in a row Beşiktaş has defended its top seat in Turkey’s Spor Toto Super league for a fourth week in a row, beating Akhisar on Dec. 21 in an Istanbul game.

Two Turkish teams will be out tonight in the Europa League hoping to clinch the top spots in their groups.

Beşiktaş will host Tottenham Hotspur with the Group C leadership at stake, while Trabzonspor visits Legia Warsaw in Group L.

Beşiktaş took over the top spot in the Spor Toto Super League standings with a hard-fought victory against Kardemir Karabükspor.

The Istanbul club’s Senegalese Demba Ba striker scored twice for the visiting Black Eagles as they beat Karabükspor 2-1 yesterday to move to the top of the table with 23 points.

A Demba Ba hat-trick sent Beşiktaş into the Champions League playoff round at the expense of former winners Feyenoord on Aug. 6.

The Black Eagles, who finished third in the Turkish Super League last season,
only qualified in a knock-on effect because champions Fenerbahçe are
serving the second of a two-year ban over domestic match-fixing in 2011.

Beşiktaş plans to finish what it started last week when it hosts Feyenoord in the Champions League third qualifying round second leg tonight.

The Black Eagles will be hoping to capitalize on a strong performance in the first leg, when they beat the Dutch runner-up 2-1 in the game in Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium.

Goals from Mustafa Pektemek and Kerim Koyunlu edged Beşiktaş past last season’s Dutch league runner-up Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, in the first leg game in Rotterdam on July 30.

Feyenoord scored a 95th-minute penalty but still succumbed 2-1 at home to Beşiktaş, putting the Turkish outfit in charge of the tie.