Beşiktaş reaches 5th round of Ziraat Turkish Cup
Beşiktaş's Dele Alli and Serik Belediyespor's Sergen Yatağan in action in the fourth round qualifying match of the Ziraat Turkish Cup match between Beşiktaş and Serik Belediyespor, Istanbul, Türkiye, Nov. 9, 2022. (AA Photo)


Beşiktaş gaffer Şenol Güneş seems like a man on a mission as he selected an 11-man squad he had never used before to comfortably whoop TFF Second League team Serik Belediyespor 3-1 to advance to the fifth round of the Ziraat Turkish Cup.

Playing tenaciously in the first half against a seemingly weak side, the black-and-white team shook the nets thrice heading to the break.

After resumption, the Eagles did not keep their foot off the peddle. They kept on pressing on and a lucky response from the visitors did not make any difference.

Nathan Redmond, who signed on the dotted line for Beşiktaş at the beginning of the season, registered his name for the first time on the scoresheet for the hosts.

The English winger put his team ahead with a goal from outside the penalty area in the fifth minute and also got an assist to his name for the second goal scored by Jackson Muleka.

In the 28th minute, he was on it again but unfortunately, his efforts were denied by the woodwork.

Beşiktaş's defense has been porous and has been struggling to keep clean sheets in all competitions except three matches played in the league this season.

Regardless of the pressure the Eagles exerted, they could not close their goal against Serik Belediyespor.

In the Süper Lig, the Black and White's defense, which did not concede only in Yukatel Kayserispor, Fenerbahçe and Bitexen Giresunspor matches, conceded 18 goals in just 13 weeks.

Beşiktaş's coach Şenol Güneş, who has been enjoying a warm return to the Vodafone Arena, gave a word of advice to his team: "Never give up."

''We have hope, we have strength," he said.

Güneş also said that they want to achieve victory in the Turkish Cup as well.

Reminding of the 84th anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's death, the experienced technical man said: "Tomorrow is Nov. 10. So I commemorate Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with mercy. We are grateful to him for he is and was our founder, our leader who guides and paves the way for us.''

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