Beşiktaş grateful for their 'young Rivaldo'

Likened to a "young Rivaldo" by his Beşiktaş team-mates, Talisca's 93rd-minute free-kick leveller at Benfica was a goal the Brazilian great would have been proud of.

On loan from Benfica at the Black Eagles, Talisca – a second-half substitute in the Group B opener – sensed his moment as the game moved into added-time, with Beşiktaş trailing 1-0. Ricardo Quaresma noted Talisca's hunger when Beşiktaş were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position. "When I picked up the ball, he asked me if he could hit it; he was feeling confident," the UEFA EURO 2016 winner recalled. "He strikes a good dead ball and I was happy for him that he scored, and that we got the draw."

Another of Talisca's team-mates, Andreas Beck, told UEFA.com that the Bahia native deserved praise not just for his winner, but for having adapted quickly to his new surroundings. "He's only a few weeks with us but the good thing is he knows a lot of the guys from speaking Portuguese and Spanish," the ex-Germany international said. "A lot of us know what it's like when you play against your old team; it's never easy, but Talisca played well and scored. He was almost like our matchwinner today.

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"He has great qualities and his style of play is good for our team as we don't have a player like him," Beck continued. "He reminds us a little of a young Rivaldo. He has an unbelievable left foot and is a player who can really make a difference."

Defender Atiba Hutchinson spoke just as highly of the Brazilian, telling UEFA.com: "He's very positive and very creative on the ball. He's full of confidence and brings a different dynamic to the team, something that we've needed. We're all happy with his performance and obviously delighted with his goal."

A valuable point gained from a tough opening fixture sets Şenol Güneş's side up for their second game in the section at home to Dynamo Kyiv in two weeks. "If you don't lose away from home in your first game, that represents a very good start in the UEFA Champions League," Andreas Beck said.

"This will give us a lot of confidence," Hutchinson added. "If we can now manage to get a good result [back at home on matchday two] it will be crucial for us."