Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby analysis: The real test starts now

Beşiktaş’s 2-1 comeback at Kadıköy was more than a derby won from behind, Hürriyet columnist Koray Durkal argues. It was the clearest test yet of the transformation Vincenzo Italiano has brought to the black-and-white side, and Beşiktaş passed it.

Fenerbahçe took the lead at home, but Beşiktaş chose not to surrender control when the match turned against it. Instead, the visitors increased the risk in a measured way, disrupted Fenerbahçe’s passing connections and forced its defensive shape to move. Slowly, Beşiktaş took control of the match’s psychological momentum.

Durkal says the key was not simply that Beşiktaş attacked more after falling behind. The team changed the rhythm of the game and responded to its changing demands. In a derby, he writes, a side does not need to control every minute. It needs to manage the critical phases correctly.

For Fenerbahçe, the decisive problem came after the 1-0 goal. Taking the lead does not require a team to retreat, and leading sides can often exploit the opponent’s need to take risks by seeking a second goal. Fenerbahçe failed to reorganize possession and the match in its own favor.

The analysis also criticizes İsmail Kartal’s changes, saying they appeared driven by familiar patterns rather than the flow of the game. That weakened Fenerbahçe further and helped Beşiktaş return to the contest. After four league matches, Fenerbahçe have two wins and two defeats, while Beşiktaş have three wins and one defeat.