Ex-Manchester City ace Alvaro Negredo suffers fractured cheekbone as Besiktas faced massive showdown with Istanbul Basaksehir
Pivotal weekend in tense Turkish title race with all four contenders meeting — and only one side tasting success
FORMER Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo suffered a fractured cheekbone as Besiktas lost ground in the Turkish title race.
It was a pivotal weekend in the battle for top spot, with all four contenders facing each other.
But Besiktas suffered a massive blow — both on and off the field.
Not only did former Southampton winger Eljero Elia score the only goal of the game as title rivals Istanbul Basaksehir won 1-0, but Besiktas manager Senol Gunes confirmed Negredo was rushed to hospital after suffering a fractured cheekbone.
The Spanish striker, 32, joined from Valencia in the summer after a loan spell at Middlesbrough, and has scored 13 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.
The Turkish Super Lig has the most exciting title race in Europe, with six points separating the Galatasaray, Basaksehir, Besiktas and Fenerbahce.
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The pair played out a 0-0 draw, meaning a victory for Basaksehir over Besiktas would see the lead cut down to just one point — and that is exactly what happened.
With just eight matches left, there are likely to be more twists and turns in fascinating title race involving four teams from the same city.
Should Basaksehit triumph, it would be the first top-flight success in their history.