Dusan Vlahovic likens Orkun Kokcu's assist to Messi after derby win
Dusan Vlahovic scored the winner and praised Orkun Kokcu's assist after Besiktas defeated Fenerbahce 2-1 in the Super Lig.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Vux33
Besiktas secured a significant victory in the first Istanbul derby of the season, mounting a second-half comeback to beat Fenerbahce 2-1 on matchday four of the Trendyol Super Lig. After falling behind to a Milan Skriniar strike in the 26th minute, the visitors responded through Ridvan Yilmaz before Dusan Vlahovic netted the winner in the 73rd minute.
Speaking after his first experience in a Turkish derby, Vlahovic was quick to credit captain Orkun Kokcu for the decisive pass that allowed him to seal the three points.
Orkun Kokcu is a world-class star. Thanks to him, I’ve been scoring a lot of goals. He made another fantastic assist tonight — the kind of assist you’d see from Messi. Dusan Vlahovic
Kokcu revealed that he had the opportunity to shoot himself but opted to set up Vlahovic, trusting the striker's finishing ability. The Besiktas captain praised his side's mental resilience for overcoming an early deficit in such a hostile environment.
The result provides Besiktas with a major boost in the Super Lig standings. Vlahovic noted that he is still working toward peak physical condition and expects his output to improve as the campaign continues.