With the score settled, Brugge are next

Beşİktaş goalkeeper Cenk Gönen said that Thursday night's penalty win was sufficient revenge for the Black Eagles, eight years after Liverpool dealt them their biggest European humbling.

It was a night for memories and for creating new ones. Liverpool returned to the Olimpiyat Stadium for the first time since their historic and truly dramatic European Champions League final triumph 10 years ago while Beşiktaş were trying to undo their 8-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool back in the 2007-08 Champions League campaign, a result that still ranks as the competition's most one-sided.

All those thoughts were in the rear view mirror on Thursday night when Dejan Lovren badly missed the fifth penalty to send Beşiktaş into the next round of the Europa League. Gönen claimed after the game that the score is now settled.

"We had a history with Liverpool and I think we have settled the score now," Gönen said. "It was important for the team, for the club, for the fans. I waited until the very last moment before he shot [for Lovren's penalty]. I did not move and I think it played a part in making him miss." The aggregate score was 1-1 after the two legs and extra time, forcing penalties.

Tolgay Arslan, a January recruit from Hamburg, gave Beşiktaş the all-important goal to cancel out Mario Balotelli's first leg penalty. The youngster swung in a peach of a goal, hitting a first-time effort from the edge of the box after Ba's back flick. The game saw a record attendance of 63,324, the highest number in Europa League history.

Despite a slow first half that saw Liverpool on top, Beşiktaş utterly dominated the second half and extra time, although they failed to grab a winner before the dreaded penalty shootout. While penalty shootouts are normally nervy affairs, Beşiktaş showed their mettle. Every player converted his penalty, with almost all of them being virtually un-savable. According to emotional midfielder Veli Kavlak, every player in the black and white was ready to step up, unaffected by nerves. He said. "Before the shoot-out, coach [Slaven Bilic] came to us and said he was proud of us - that we had dominated 120 minutes of play and that we had nothing to lose. Then he asked, 'Who wants to take one?' and everybody raised their hand."

For Slaven Bilic, Beşiktaş's gregarious manager, the win wasn't just a triumph for the Black Eagles, but one all of Turkey could get behind. "It's a great feeling. It's a great night for our great club, for Beşiktaş," said the Croatian. "For Turkish football as well. We definitely deserve it and we are so proud of our players."

Ten years ago, Liverpool had left the Ataturk Stadium to turn the whole of Istanbul red following what many have described as the most dramatic and intoxicating Champions League final of all time. This time they left with their tails between their legs wondering what happened to their season. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admitted after the game that his side had lacked creativity.

Meanwhile, the draws for Round 16 of the UEFA Europa League were made in the Swiss city of Nyon on Friday. Beşiktaş paired with Belgian team Club Brugge. Beşiktaş will play the first leg in Belgium on March 12 and the return match will kick off at Olimpiyat Stadium in Istanbul on March 19. In a reflection of current events affecting league draws, Russian and Ukrainian teams cannot be paired with each other due to the political crisis between the countries.

The other Turkish powerhouse Trabzonspor's journey in Europe was ended by Napoli. The Italian club defeated Trabzonspor 1-0 in the at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples on Thursday night.