Chelsea crash to Besiktas

Stadium: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Referees: Lucilio Cordosa Cortez Batista, Paulo Jorge Januario Leite Ribeiro, Jose Manuel Silva Cardinal(Portugal)
FC CHELSEA: Cudicini, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro(Dk. 23 Bridge), Terry, Geremi, Makelele, Veron, Lampard, Mutu(Dk. 46 Hasselbaink), Crespo(Dk. 46 Duff)
BEŞİKTAŞ: Cordoba, Emre, Ronaldo, Zago, Okan Koç(Dk.60 Kaan Dobra), Tayfur Giunti(Dk. 68 Yasin), Sergen(Dk. 82 Ahmed Hassan), İbrahim Üzülmez, Pancu, İlhan Mansız
GOALS: Dk. 24 ve 29 Sergen
Yellow Cards: Dk. 39 Mutu (FC Chelsea), Dk. 45 İlhan Mansız, Dk. 55 Tayfur, Dk. 68 Giunti, Dk. 82 Sergen, Dk. 89 Zago (Beşiktaş)
Red Card: Dk. 50 İlhan Mansız (Beşiktaş)

Two goals in five first-half minutes from midfielder Sergen Yalcin gave 10-man Besiktas a shock 2-0 win away at big-spending Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday. It was only Chelsea's second defeat in 41 European home games and threw Group G wide open with both sides on three points from their opening two games.

Besiktas had never won a Champions League match away from home and before Wednesday Chelsea had lost only one European match out of 40 played at Stamford Bridge.

The multimillion dollar home side had most of the possession, the majority of the good moves and the advantage of an extra man for most of the second half but could not finish.

Besiktas, on the other hand, capitalised on the two chances they earned by putting a nervy Chelsea defence in disarray in the first half of the Group G encounter.

The Turkish side caught Chelsea unawares with a fast free kick on the left in the 24th minute, taking advantage of an unguarded moment just after hobbling defender Celestine Babayaro was substituted by Wayne Bridge.

Ilhan Mansiz took the kick and attacking midfielder Sergen Yalcin shot home from a pin-point low cross by Ibrahim Uzulmez. The ball deflected off England defender John Terry's arm into the net.

The goal unsettled Chelsea, who had not lost a game this season, and the Turks replied with speed and fluidity, pushing forward as a persistent drizzle fell.

Barely five minutes later Sergen again showed the class that made him top scorer last season, running at the surprised Chelsea defence on to a long clearance from goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba.

Captain Marcel Desailly slipped on the greasy turf, Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini rushed off his line, missed the ball completely and Sergen made no mistake.

Chelsea had enjoyed most of the possession and the better chances in the first 20 minutes.

Five minutes into the game Argentine Hernan Crespo's powerful lifting shot shaved the bar while Adrian Mutu turned a shot wide in the 13th minute and Juan Sebastian Veron slipped with an open goal in front of him five minutes later.

TWO CHANGES

Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri made two changes at halftime, substituting Mutu and Crespo and bringing on top scorer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Irish winger Damien Duff.

The Turks were forced on to the back foot early in the half after Ilhan Mansiz was sent off after failing to stop on the whistle for a second time.

They dropped back to defend the lead and despite frenzied pressure Chelsea could not take advantage of their superior numbers and find a way through.

Veron missed a sitter in the 59th, heading wide from a fine cross by Frank Lampard, then John Terry miscued a header as even Chelsea's back four besieged the Besiktas goal to no avail.

Nine minutes from time Chelsea's Cameroon midfielder Geremi put a free kick just outside the box wide after having an earlier effort saved by Cordoba.

The result dented Chelsea's hopes of qualifying from a group they might have been expected to take in their stride alongside Italy's Lazio after spending some 180 million dollars on top players during the close season following the club's takeover by Russian millionaire Roman Abramovich.

Lazio top Group G with 4 points.