Beşiktaş took a significant step toward the UEFA Europa League play-off round after battling to a 1-0 victory over Czech club FC Hradec Kralove in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie on Wednesday, with substitute Semih Kılıçsoy scoring the decisive goal despite the Turkish side playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
The Black Eagles showed resilience at Malsovicka Arena in Hradec Kralove, overcoming the dismissal of summer signing Kassoum Ouattara to secure a valuable away victory under head coach Vincenzo Italiano. The return leg will be played on Aug. 13 at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul.
The result continued Beşiktaş's impressive start to the European campaign after eliminating Danish side FC Midtjylland 3-0 on aggregate in the previous round. It also marked the club's 100th victory in European competition and extended its run to three consecutive competitive clean sheets this season.
Hradec Kralove, who advanced by beating Norway's Tromso 4-1 on aggregate, entered the match full of confidence after an impressive home run but struggled to capitalize on their chances against a disciplined Beşiktaş defense.
The visitors controlled much of the opening half without finding a breakthrough. İlhan Fakılı looked lively in attack, while South Korean striker Hyeon-gyu Oh came closest to opening the scoring when his effort crashed against the crossbar shortly before halftime.
At the other end, Beşiktaş needed a crucial intervention from Emirhan Topçu, who cleared Daniel Horak's goal-bound effort off the line to preserve the deadlock before the break.
Italiano's side resumed with greater urgency after halftime. Orkun Kökçü twice tested goalkeeper Adam Zadražil early in the second half, but the Hradec Kralove shot stopper denied both efforts to keep the score level.
The momentum shifted in the 71st minute when Ouattara, making his first start since joining Beşiktaş this summer, received a second yellow card and was sent off after committing another foul just six minutes after his initial booking.
Reduced to 10 men, Beşiktaş refused to retreat.
Italiano responded with a series of substitutions that ultimately decided the match. Wilfred Ndidi, returning after recovering from an ankle injury, entered alongside Semih Kılıçsoy and Rıdvan Yılmaz.
The breakthrough arrived in the 80th minute.
Ndidi floated a pass into the penalty area, where defender Filip Cihak failed to clear convincingly. The loose ball dropped kindly for Kılıçsoy, who reacted quickest and headed home from close range to hand Beşiktaş a crucial lead.
The goal was another important moment for the young forward, who recently returned to the club following a loan spell at Cagliari.
Hradec Kralove pushed aggressively for an equalizer during the closing stages, forcing Alexander Nübel into an important save while sending several dangerous balls into the box. However, Beşiktaş's organized back line held firm to preserve the clean sheet.
The statistics reflected a tightly contested contest. Beşiktaş enjoyed a slight edge in possession and produced nearly twice as many attempts on goal, while the Czech side remained dangerous on the counterattack and tested the visitors throughout the second half.
The disciplined defensive display was another encouraging sign for Italiano, whose team has yet to concede in three official matches this season.
The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the Europa League play-off round to face the loser of the Dinamo Zagreb versus Kauno Žalgiris matchup for a place in the league phase. The defeated side will instead drop into the UEFA Conference League play-off round.