Beşiktaş opened their Ziraat Turkish Cup campaign with a statement win on the road, edging Fenerbahçe 2-1 in a tense Group C derby on Tuesday night as Vaclav Cerny delivered twice – including a dramatic stoppage-time winner – to hand the black-and-whites their first derby victory of the season.
Cerny broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute, pouncing on space at the edge of the box and finishing calmly to silence Chobani Stadium.
Fenerbahçe responded before halftime when Marco Asensio converted from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute, sending the teams level into the break.
As the derby appeared headed for a draw, Cerny resurfaced in the opening moments of stoppage time, striking decisively in the 90+1st minute to seal the win and spark wild celebrations among the visiting supporters.
The Czech winger, scoring his first-ever goal in a Beşiktaş-Fenerbahçe derby, finished the night as the clear difference-maker.
It was his fifth goal of the season in black and white, continuing a trend of delivering on big occasions.
Cerny had already netted against Kocaelispor and scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Trabzonspor, while his history against Fenerbahçe includes two goals for Rangers in last season’s Europa League.
The win marked Beşiktaş’s first derby victory of the campaign – and notably, the first time they held onto a lead to win one.
Earlier in the season, they dropped points after going ahead against Galatasaray and surrendered a 2-0 advantage in a painful 3-2 home loss to Fenerbahçe in league play.
This time, there was no collapse.
Beşiktaş also reinforced their reputation as stubborn visitors in Kadıköy.
In their last five away meetings with Fenerbahçe across all competitions, they have lost just once, collecting three wins and one draw.
The latest victory followed last season’s league triumph, sealed by Gedson Fernandes, giving Beşiktaş back-to-back derby wins on Fenerbahçe’s turf.
Their recent Kadıköy run includes a 4-2 league win in 2022-23, a 2-2 draw in 2021-22 and a narrow loss in 2023-24.
The black-and-whites also extended their historical edge over Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Cup.
The sides met for the 23rd time in the competition, with Beşiktaş claiming their 12th victory.
Fenerbahçe have five wins – two by forfeit – while six encounters have ended level.
Beşiktaş stretched their unbeaten streak to seven matches across all competitions since a 3-2 league loss to Fenerbahçe earlier this season.
That run includes league wins over Antalyaspor, Fatih Karagümrük and Rizespor, along with draws against Samsunspor, Gaziantep FK and Trabzonspor.
Beşiktaş coach Sergen Yalçın praised his players’ discipline and execution, saying the game unfolded exactly as planned.
“We started with high pressing and wanted to play in the front areas,” Yalçın said. “The plan worked. It was a derby worthy of two big clubs, played in good spirit. Scoring late and winning was very satisfying. We deserved it.”
Yalçın acknowledged the team remains a work in progress, emphasizing patience during a rebuilding phase.
“We are physically in a good place and trying to play an aggressive game,” he said. “But building something new takes time – and time is always the hardest thing to get at a big club.”
He added that Beşiktaş are targeting January signings who can make an immediate impact.
Cerny, 28, downplayed his personal performance, insisting the result mattered most.
“Of course I’m happy to score twice, but winning the derby is what’s important,” he said. “People expect goals and assists from me – I like that responsibility. Ending the year with a win like this makes us very happy.”
Fenerbahçe coach Domenico Tedesco said the defeat was painful but insisted his injury-hit squad showed character.
“We were missing nine players who would normally be considered starters,” Tedesco said. “Despite that, we played well, pressed high and created chances. We didn’t deserve to lose.”
Tedesco acknowledged January would bring difficult decisions but avoided specifics, noting that winter transfer windows are often reactive rather than strategic.
“This result hurts,” he added, “but the first half of the season was positive. We’ll rest, regroup and come back stronger.”
