Beşiktaş produce sting in the tail at Maccabi

Ricardo Quaresma struck deep into added time to put Beşiktaş JK within an ace of the UEFA Europa League round of 32 after Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC had battled back from two goals down in Group E.

Quaresma picked up the ball on the edge of the box and eluded a host of challenges before powering the ball past Barak Levy in the Maccabi goal. The Portuguese forward had put his side ahead at the end of the first half, with İbrahim Toraman doubling the lead just after the restart, but goals from Sheran Yeini and Moshe Logasi looked to have earned Motti Iwanir's side a point.

The Israeli side will finish bottom of the section, while the Black Eagles take on Stoke City FC on matchday six needing a point to be certain of playing European football in the spring.

Quaresma's absent-minded pass on the edge of the area invited Roberto Colautti in on goal inside three minutes, and while Cenk Gönen saved, Beşiktaş looked cumbersome until, with the half-time whistle looming, Fabian Ernst swung a ball in from the left which the onrushing Quaresma volleyed first time past Levy. Further punishment followed for the lively Maccabi after the break as Manuel Fernandes's corner picked out İbrahim to nod in at the near post.

Maccabi did not despair, though. Beşiktaş failed to clear a corner, and Sheran Yeini's hopeful flick to a bouncing ball in the box snuck past Cenk. Substitute Moshe Logasi was then allowed time to wind up for a shot with 20 minutes to go, and sent a swerving effort past Cenk from over 20 metres to bring it back to 2-2.

From then on it was anyone's game, but Quaresma – a menace throughout – was to have the final word.