Ernst excited by Beşiktaş' rapid response

Experienced Beşiktaş JK midfielder Fabian Ernst hailed his side's composure after SK Rapid Wien took an early second-half lead in the UEFA Europa League Group L game in Austria.

It was Ernst who picked out substitute Filip Hološko to level matters four minutes after Veli Kavlak's opener for Rapid. Bobô sealed victory soon after having been put clear by compatriot Rodrigo Tabata. "We're not through yet but things are looking good," said Ernst, scorer of the winner against PFC CSKA Sofia on Matchday 1. "Now we have the confidence, we play good football."

Their opponents bemoaned a lack of experience at this level. "It was very chaotic after the equaliser," said right-back Mario Sonnleitner. "We were very naive; this is the Europa League, in future we need to be more intelligent. We defended too high. We were in front − there was no need to defend that far up the pitch."

Kavlak expressed his disappointment at the turn of events. "I scored a goal but we leave empty handed," said the 21-year-old. "We have no points. At this level mistakes are punished by goals."

Tanju Kayhan, one of three Rapid players of Turkish parentage along with Kavlak and Yasin Pehlivan, summed up the feeling in the home camp. "We are very disappointed," he explained. "We let in two easy goals. The equaliser was the turning point." Defiant nonetheless, he added: "We still have four games, it will be hard but we will give our best. At this level you have to play 90 minutes of good football."

The result leaves Beşiktaş level with FC Porto on six points ahead of their Matchday 3 meeting in Istanbul on 21 October, when Rapid and CSKA, both point-less, meet in the Bulgarian capital.