Gençlerbirliği's Golden Strike: How the Underdogs Turned Beşiktaş's Home Advantage Upside Down

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 55/100. Languishing in 13th place, Gençlerbirliği's clinical final 15 minutes—powered by a calamitous own goal and a composed finish—delivered a seismic upset that rewrites the relegation battle narrative.

Beşiktaş's First-Half Stranglehold

For 46 minutes, Beşiktaş imposed their will. Sixty-three per cent possession, 11 shots to Gençlerbirliği's six, and a relentless press that suffocated their opponents' rhythm. When Cengiz Ünder converted in the 47th minute—courtesy of Rafa Silva's assist—the script seemed written. The home side's intensity was suffocating; control was absolute. This was supposed to be a procession.

The Collapse That Changed Everything

Then came the balance shift. In 120 catastrophic seconds, Beşiktaş's fortress crumbled. At 79 minutes, D. Jurasek's own goal punctured the silence. Two minutes later, Franco Tongya buried the knife. The stakes flipped in an instant: Gençlerbirliği, the struggling underdogs, were suddenly the victors. Despite Beşiktaş's 84% pass accuracy and 1.91 expected goals, the numbers told a lie. Football doesn't care about dominance—it cares about finishing.

A Lifeline in the Relegation Battle

For Gençlerbirliği, this three points is a psychological resurrection. At 13th with eight points, they were drowning. Now, they have oxygen. Beşiktaş, meanwhile, sits sixth with 16 points and a recent run of four wins in five—until today. This defeat stings not because of the scoreline, but because of *when* it arrived. In a title race or a relegation dogfight, momentum is everything. Beşiktaş lost theirs in 120 seconds.