Title race heats up as Beşiktaş held by Kayserispor

In just a week, four teams in the top five took three points home, while Super League leaders Beşiktaş were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Kayserispor, cutting down the Black Eagles' lead at the top of the table to just two points



Medipol Başakşehir, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe will be all smiles after table toppers Beşiktaş dropped two vital points against Kayserispor on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 stalemate in Kayseri. The draw will revitalize the Spor Toto Super League title race, as the rest of the teams in the top four all picked up three points this week to breath down Beşiktaş's neck.With the draw, Beşiktaş now have 54 points in 24 matches and second placed Medipol Başakşehir are hot on their heels with 52 points. Meanwhile, third placed Galatasaray have 46 points and Fenerbahçe are in fourth with 44 points from same number of outings.Given their performance so far this season, Başakşehir and Beşiktaş seem more likely candidates for the league title while powerhouses Galatasary and Fenerbahçe look poised to battle it out for the second place and an opportunity to play for Champions League playoffs.In this week's action, Başakşehir, playing on the road against Atiker Konyaspor, dominated the home side to claim a 3-0 win on Sunday.Beşiktaş, on the other hand, lost their winning streak that stretched three consecutive weeks, when they had brought down Akhisar Belediyespor, Galatasaray and Çaykur Rizespor. They lost out to their Anatolian rivals, Kayserispor, who have been grabbing attention with a superb performance in the second half of the season. Kayserispor, dwelling in the vicinity of the relegation zone, have upped their game dramatically since Beşiktaş legend Sergen Yalçın took the helm. Under Yalçın's guidance, the Yellow-Reds have not lost in seven matches, winning four of them while drawing three.Table toppers Beşiktaş, who have lost only two games this season, dropped most of their points in stalemates, playing out six of them in contrast to only three last season. The team's performance angered some fans who held up placards, urging Sergen Yalçın to "Help our team [Beşiktaş] stand on its feet again." In reply, Kayserispor coach Sergen Yalçın said, "Our only aim is to not get relegated. We played against a very strong team today. I take coaching very seriously and it should be obvious from our performance in the last two months. I want to work in Europe. It is not that easy to work here. Beşiktaş fans asked for my help, but 'my team' is already on its feet. Meanwhile, Beşiktaş coach Şenol Güneş, unable to hide his disappointment, said, "We could not get what we wanted. Along with the points we also lost two of our important players, Marcelo Guedes and Dusko Tosic to injuries. We apologize to our fans. We could not keep up with the aggressive play of our rivals."Complaining about Turkey's internationally renowned referee, Cüneyt Çakır, Güneş said, "We lost points against Medipol Başakşehir in the first half of the season and the referee today was Cüneyt Çakır again. When they don't give him any European matches they give him these matches [in the Super League]." The 25th week of the Spor Toto Super League will start on March 17 with Fenerbahçe hosting Atiker Konyaspor. Meanwhile, the week's most important match will be between Galatasaray and Trabzonspor. Trabzonspor, who have been one of the best teams in the second half of the season, will host Galatasaray in Trabzon. Elsewhere, Medipol Başakşehir will take on Kardemir Karabükspor while Beşiktaş will be head to head with Antalyaspor on Sunday.