Beşiktaş on Sunday overcame Istanbulspor with a 2-0 victory, sparking a flurry of commentary among sports pundits, particularly regarding the interim managerial role undertaken by "young" Burak Yılmaz.
Broken hearts, muted voices, and somber faces – the autumn chill is settling over the Black Eagles camp.
The club's leadership is in turmoil, and extraordinary general assembly meeting are on the horizon.
The departing head coach Şenol Güneş left with an "apology," leaving Beşiktaş in disarray.
The hope stemming from on-field results has dwindled, whether it is the Conference League or the Süper Lig, it hardly matters.
But amid this turbulent time, there is a silver lining as Beşiktaş are slowly healing their fresh wounds, reconciling with their fan base, especially the famous Çarşı and embracing Burak Yılmaz as a symbol of renewal.
Back to the Sunday's match itself.
Facing Istanbulspor, especially at Tüpraş Stadium, during these turbulent times is indeed a stroke of luck for Beşiktaş.
If it were against other stronger opponents, the Black Eagles might have witnessed a timid and shaky match under immense pressure.
However, Beşiktaş wasted no time and broke free from potential burdens with an early goal.
Once again Vincent Aboubakar rose to the challenge by racing ahead from the team, making a brilliant run and confidently slotting the ball into the net.
A promising start, especially from the perspective of Burak Yılmaz.
Beşiktaş dominated possession, boasting a remarkable 70% of it.
In a match like this, more shots, more set pieces, and more goals would be expected.
However, despite attacking with a multitude of players, Beşiktaş struggled to find the back of the net.
Salih Uçan, Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rachid Ghezzal, Vincent Aboubakar, and Jackson Muleka gave it their all, but the end product was lacking.
Istanbulspor tried to push for an equalizer in the final 20 minutes, looking at the 1-0 scoreline, but it was not meant to be.
Burak Yılmaz's substitutions injected some freshness into the team.
Ghezzal confidently converted the penalty that Cenk Tosun earned in the 90th minute, sealing the three points.
Aboubakar, who had been closely marked by the opposing defense throughout the game, found relief in Ghezzal's goal.
Former coach, Şenol Güneş threw in the towel and left, prompting the board to call for an extraordinary congress.
For now, the only certainty is that Burak Yılmaz will be in charge of the team until December.
Yılmaz's lineup changes, even in the starting 11, were reasonable.
However, with possession, Beşiktaş strangely kept pulling the handbrake in the first half.
The Black Eagles clearly missed the injured Gedson Fernandes, as he could provide the acceleration they need.
Aboubakar, the team's most potent goal threat, was under constant scrutiny by the opposition defense but still managed to find the net in the sixth minute.
He did his job and was subbed out later.
Chamberlain, on the other hand, was in search mode and was at least trying, taking shots, even though they did not bear fruit.
The visiting team's switch to a more offensive strategy in the second half certainly increased the tempo, making the game more watchable.
While Burak Yılmaz made a series of tactical changes to avoid a potential loss, Istanbulspor put up a resilient fight.
They might have found an equalizer, but their opportunities went begging.
Burak Yılmaz is off to a good start, however the Beşiktaş camp should at least trade with caution.
This victory will provide them with some much-needed morale ahead of the Galatasaray derby.
