Stoke 2-1 Besiktas - Manuel Fernades believes Besiktas will still qualify | Europa League 2011-12
- 10 years ago
Stoke 2-1 Besiktas
Crouch 15
Walters (pen) 78
Hilbert 14
Substitute Jon Walters scored a late penalty as Stoke came from behind to beat Besiktas.
The Turkish side opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Roberto Hilbert ran on to Ricardo Quaresma's fine through ball to score.
But Peter Crouch equalised a minute later when he stabbed in from close range after a corner was not cleared.
Substitute Walters had already hit the post when he netted from the spot with 12 minutes remaining.
After drawing their first game in Kiev the Potters are now top of Europa League Group E ahead of back-to-back games with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Manager Tony Pulis had complained before the game that his side needed help after being handed away Premier League games after each Europa League match.
As a result Pulis made seven changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Manchester United last weekend, with only Crouch, Rory Delap, Ryan Shawcross and Matthew Etherington remaining in the starting XI.
But he still saw his side produce a rousing display which owed much to their lauded prowess from set-pieces, despite Uefa regulations meaning the pitch had to be widened and, in the process, the run-up area for Delap's long throws reduced.
Former Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber flapped at his first Delap throw but was given a soft free-kick by referee Antony Gautier.
Delap headed a Dean Whitehead corner narrowly wide before Besiktas took the lead through Hilbert. Quaresma split the defence with a magnificent through ball and Hilbert flicked the ball first-time around Thomas Sorensen despite Robert Huth's desperate challenge.
Stoke needed a response and took less than two minutes to level through Crouch.
Rustu failed to collect a Whitehead corner, Shawcross saw his effort blocked and Crouch was on hand to bundle over the line from three yards out.
For Crouch - sent off for Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Real Madrid in his last European appearance - it was a
Crouch 15
Walters (pen) 78
Hilbert 14
Substitute Jon Walters scored a late penalty as Stoke came from behind to beat Besiktas.
The Turkish side opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Roberto Hilbert ran on to Ricardo Quaresma's fine through ball to score.
But Peter Crouch equalised a minute later when he stabbed in from close range after a corner was not cleared.
Substitute Walters had already hit the post when he netted from the spot with 12 minutes remaining.
After drawing their first game in Kiev the Potters are now top of Europa League Group E ahead of back-to-back games with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Manager Tony Pulis had complained before the game that his side needed help after being handed away Premier League games after each Europa League match.
As a result Pulis made seven changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Manchester United last weekend, with only Crouch, Rory Delap, Ryan Shawcross and Matthew Etherington remaining in the starting XI.
But he still saw his side produce a rousing display which owed much to their lauded prowess from set-pieces, despite Uefa regulations meaning the pitch had to be widened and, in the process, the run-up area for Delap's long throws reduced.
Former Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber flapped at his first Delap throw but was given a soft free-kick by referee Antony Gautier.
Delap headed a Dean Whitehead corner narrowly wide before Besiktas took the lead through Hilbert. Quaresma split the defence with a magnificent through ball and Hilbert flicked the ball first-time around Thomas Sorensen despite Robert Huth's desperate challenge.
Stoke needed a response and took less than two minutes to level through Crouch.
Rustu failed to collect a Whitehead corner, Shawcross saw his effort blocked and Crouch was on hand to bundle over the line from three yards out.
For Crouch - sent off for Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Real Madrid in his last European appearance - it was a