Cenk doubles up as Beşiktaş beat Skënderbeu
Thursday, November 26, 2015
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Beşiktaş 2-0 Skënderbeu
Cenk Tosun struck twice as the Black Eagles moved top of Group H and ensured their visitors' adventure will not extend into 2016.
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- Cenk Tosun scores in each half to give Beşiktaş the win
- Beşiktaş still unbeaten in this season's group stage
- Skënderbeu lose any chance of qualifying
- Black Eagles top Group H going into matchday six
- Final Group H games: Sporting CP v Beşiktaş, Skënderbeu v Lokomotiv Moskva (10 December)
Cenk Tosun scored one in each half to take Beşiktaş to the top of UEFA Europa League Group H and call time on Skënderbeu's maiden group stage campaign.
Cenk set up José Sosa for the winner when the sides met on matchday one and was the architect of the Albanian champions' downfall once more. On 35 minutes, he rose highest to connect with İsmail Köybaşı's cross from the left and beat Skënderbeu's 38-year-old goalkeeper Orges Shehi.
It was the Black Eagles first attempt on target and allowed them to change gear; thereafter, they were happy to play a mid-tempo game and hit on the break, bringing Ricardo Quaresma in the mix. The plan worked well.
Cenk came close to getting his second on the counterattack, sending the simplest of tap-ins wide after Duško Tošić found him unmarked in the box. He made no such mistake on 78 minutes. Gökhan Töre cut in from the left and found Quaresma unmarked on the opposite flank, and he fed the ball back into the centre for Cenk to finish.
Tosun shining
The forward rose to the occasion to justify coach Şenol Güneş's decision to leave Mario Gomez on the bench. Cenk scored twice but it should have been a hat-trick, the 24-year-old guilty of a glaring miss.
Skënderbeu no pushovers
Albania's first ever UEFA group stage contenders will finish bottom of Group H, yet have nothing to be ashamed of and could have caused Beşiktaş more problems. Hamdi Salihi fired high and wide early on and Tolga Zengin needed to be alert to deny Liridon Latifi an equaliser.
Second goal the key
Beşiktaş would have endured a whole year without scoring more than once in a European game had Cenk not doubled up. Before tonight, they had gone nine matches since registering more than one in Europe, in a 2-2 draw against Asteras on 27 November 2014.
