Monaco are presented with one final opportunity to launch a free-kick into the home side's box as they desperately try to find a late winner, but Pepe is fouled by Jemerson as the two battle for the ball and Besiktas hold on once again. That should be that.
90' +3
A. Diakhaby gets yellow.
Huge opportunity for Balde to win the game for Monaco! The forward is set up over on the left-hand side of the Besiktas penalty area and is in a great bit of space, but his low shot is poorly hit and sent straight into the hands of Fabri in the middle of the goal.
The referee's yellow card is out once again, and this time it's shown to Diakhaby for a mistimed sliding challenge over on the left flank as Besiktas tried to counter-attack swiftly.
90' +2
No, they can't. Moutinho's cross into the penalty area is a good one but Carrillo can't make decent contact with the ball, sending it bouncing safely into the hands of Fabri.
90' +1
G. Medel gets yellow.
The corner fails to result in a chance on goal and this time sees Monaco counter-attack, but Fabinho is eventually fouled by Medel after storming down the left flank, resulting in another free-kick for the visitors and a yellow card for the defender. Can they make it count?
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be five minutes of added time.
Great defending by Moutinho! Besiktas fly forward on a wonderful counter-attack after dealing with the free-kick. Talisca charges forward and then sets up Quaresma to shoot, but the Portuguese is brilliantly closed down by Moutinho and has to settle for a corner.
89'
Another free-kick for Monaco in a decent position presents the visitors with a good opportunity to curl a cross into the Besiktas box. It's well hit once again by Moutinho, but this time the home side are able to defend much better than before and the set-piece fails to result in a chance on goal.
88'
Ricardo Quaresma gets yellow.
Big call by the referee! Quaresma battles with Raggi as he tries to cut inside from the left wing, but he loses out to the Italian and the ball is shepherded behind for a goal-kick. The Portuguese then takes a swing at the defender, earning him a late yellow card. It was a high and dangerous challenge, however, and he easily could have seen red.
87'
Monaco win themselves a free-kick in a dangerous position over on the right wing. It's swung in by Moutinho and picks out Raggi, who pulls off a decent header that's well saved by Fabri in the middle of the goal.
86'
Jovetic slips a clever pass into the left-hand side of the hosts' penalty area and towards Balde. He meets it well and quickly shoots, but his thumping effort sails over the crossbar before he's eventually flagged offside.
85'
A. Diakhaby enters the game and replaces Rony Lopes.
And now Monaco have made their last switch, with Lopes making way for Adama Diakhaby.
Minute
Description
84'
Great opportunity for Balde! A dangerous cross in from Lopes bounces around the Benfica box dangerously before eventually falling to Balde. The forward quickly unleashes a rocket of a volley, but it's brilliantly blocked by Pepe before it can test Fabri.
83'
Talisca enters the game and replaces A. Hutchinson.
Besiktas have made their third and final alteration, with Talisca coming on to take the place of Hutchinson.
82'
Monaco are certainly pushing plenty of bodies forward as they desperately try to find a way back in front. They simply must score if they're to have a chance of reaching the knockout stages, but time is quickly running out for them.
80'
Poor play by Babel! The Dutchman, who has arguably been Besiktas' quietest player thus far, does really well to dance his way into the left-hand side of the Monaco penalty area. He's then presented with two really good opportunities to shoot, but he holds onto the ball for far too long and is eventually dispossessed, much to the annoyance of his team-mates.
78'
Raggi gets himself into a good position over on the right wing before trying to tee up Balde with a looping cross into the middle of the penalty area, but it's well dealt with by Pepe, who darts in front of the forward and denies him the opportunity to get a shot away from close range.
76'
Off the line by Ozyakup! A Monaco corner is whipped into the heart of the Besiktas box and perfectly picks out Raggi. The defender meets it well and nods the ball down towards the bottom left-hand corner of the net, but Ozyakup is there to deny the Italian the opportunity to put the visitors back in front.
75'
M. Mitrović enters the game and replaces T. Arslan.
Arslan hasn't been moving at all well for most of the second half after picking up a slight injury, and he's eventually forced off to be replaced by Matej Mitrovic for the final 15 minutes.
74'
G. Carrillo enters the game and replaces Y. Tielemans.
Monaco have made their second change of the evening, with Guido Carrillo coming on to replace Tielemans.
73'
Lopes is caught by Adriano over on the right flank, resulting in a free-kick for Monaco in a decent area out wide. Moutinho's ball into the box is a poor one, however, and it sails straight into the hands of Fabri in the middle of the goal.
71'
Poor play by Besiktas in the middle of the pitch allows Monaco to counter-attack quickly. Balde initially does well over on the left flank before working the ball to Raggi, who shoots from the edge of the penalty area but sends his toe-poked effort comfortably wide of the goal.
69'
G. Medel enters the game and replaces D. Tošić.
After a few moments on the floor, Tosic is eventually able to hobble off the pitch to be replaced by Gary Medel.
68'
Tosic looks to have picked up an injury after clashing with Lopes a few moments ago, and it seems he's going to have to make way after failing to make a full recovery and falling to the ground.
66'
Lopes' cross in from the set-piece is a good one and bounces around the penalty area dangerously, but Raggi gives away a free-kick to the home side with a push on Tosic before Balde can get a shot away.
65'
D. Tošić gets yellow.
Space opens up for Lopes and allows the Portuguese to dart down the right flank on a quick counter-attack. He's immediately clattered into by Tosic, who brings the Monaco man crashing to the ground and gives away a free-kick in a promising position.
64'
A lofted pass is fired over the top of the Besiktas back line and into the path of Balde after Tosic mistimes his attempted clearance. The young forward then charges into the penalty area, but he loses out to a smart piece of goalkeeping from Fabri.
62'
Tosun, who is really working hard deep inside the Monaco half of the pitch, darts down the left flank as he tries to latch onto a loose ball. He puts Glik under plenty of pressure out wide, but the defender just about manages to get onto the ball first before forcing the striker into fouling him from behind.
60'
Besiktas look to be in on goal once again after Quaresma manages to get the better of two Monaco players on the edge of the visitors' box, but he's eventually penalised for an elbow on Fabinho and concedes a free-kick to the Ligue 1 side.
58'
Huge chance for Quaresma to make it 2-1! An almighty mix-up at the back allows Ryan Babel to beat Subasic to the ball just outside of the Monaco penalty area before cutting the ball back to Quaresma. The Portuguese quickly tries to beat Subasic, who is rushing back towards goal, but he's unable to hit the target and instead sends his shot over the crossbar.
56'
Monaco think they've been presented with an opportunity to quickly hit back after Hutchinson loses the ball on the edge of the Besiktas box, but Tielemans is instead penalised for a foul on the Canadian and the home side manage to survive.
54'
Penalty goal scored by C. Tosun for Besiktas!
GOAL! Tosun steps up and fires a thumping strike into the top left-hand corner of the net, despite the fact that Subasic managed to get a hand on the ball. Game on!
53'
Jorge gets yellow.
PENALTY! Monaco lose possession the halfway line, allowing Besiktas to break forward on a quick counter-attack. They move the ball around nicely before Quaresma is set up with a chance to shoot, but he's caught by a rash sliding challenge from Jorge and wins his side a penalty instead.
51'
Pepe is caught by a flailing arm from Jovetic over on the right wing, resulting in a free-kick for Besiktas in a promising position. The ball into the box is a decent one, but it's well dealt with by Monaco and the visitors are easily able to hold on.
49'
Jovetic gets himself into a good position over on the left wing before spinning and teeing up Moutinho. The Portuguese then fires a low cross into the penalty area, where Balde tries to meet it but is flagged offside after Jemerson steps up quickly.
48'
A decent low cross from Gonul flies into the middle of the Monaco penalty area, but Jemerson does well to blast the ball behind for a corner. Quaresma's cross over to the far post is a good one and picks out Tosun, who manages to pull off an acrobatic overhead kick but sends his effort high over the crossbar before being flagged for a high boot.
46'
We're underway once again!
45' +2
Besiktas are presented with a final chance to equalise before the half-time break, but Pepe can't guide his first-time volleyed strike into the back of the net after doing well to latch onto Quaresma's curling cross.
45' +1
Rony Lopes has scored a goal for Monaco! Assist by João Moutinho.
That goal came from a really poor mistake by Adriano, who clumsily gave the ball to Joao Moutinho and allowed the midfielder to quickly tee up Lopes. Senol Gunes will be absolutely livid with that error!
GOAL! Monaco have taken the lead! Completely against the run of play, Lopes darts towards the Besiktas box and manages to carve out a pocket of space for himself, allowing him to curl a beautiful shot past Fabri and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
44'
Fantastic opportunity for Gonul! The full-back seems to have made a full recovery, as he's causing all sorts of problems down the right wing. This time he comfortably skips past Jorge before firing a low shot towards the far corner of the net, but it's slightly mishit and rolls the wrong side of the post.
42'
And now Tosun goes close! The resulting corner initially fails to result in a chance on goal, but Besiktas quickly push forward once again. A clever pass picks out Tosun inside the box and sets him up to poke the ball over to Atiba Hutchinson, but the linesman's flag is raised just as the Canadian is about to unleash a shot from close range.
41'
Great block by Kamil Glik! Ozyakup embarks on a lovely run as he dances his way into the right-hand side of the Monaco penalty area. He easily gets the better of Jorge and then tries to cut a pass back to a team-mate, but Glik is there to make sure he can't do so.
40'
Poor play by Monaco sees Quaresma pick up the ball in a promising position out wide on the right. The Portuguese quickly cuts inside and tries to make the visitors pay, but his cross-cum-shot is a poor one and sails straight into the hands of Subasic at the near post.
38'
Excellent chance for Lopes to score! Jovetic cuts into the left-hand side of the Besiktas box before squaring a lovely pass across the face of goal. Lopes darts towards the ball and just about manages to get a shot away, but Fabri smothers the effort before Adriano eventually clears the danger.
36'
The game gets underway once again, and it looks as if Gonul is going to be able to continue for the time being. A lofted pass is thumped forward and manages to pick out Tosun midway inside the Monaco half of the pitch, but the striker's first touch is slightly heavy and gifts possession back to the visitors.
34'
Besiktas look to be struggling with an injury concern of their own now, as Gonul has gone down over on the right wing. He looks to have a problem with his right knee, and it's one that was exacerbated when being clattered into by Balde as they battled for the ball.
32'
It initially looks as if Monaco are going to be able to carve out a decent chance on goal after quickly counter-attacking down the left wing, but Lopes brings a promising attacking move to a disappointing end with a poorly hit, long-range effort that sails high over the crossbar.
30'
A chipped pass flies into the left-hand side of the Besiktas penalty area and manages to pick out Jovetic in a pocket of space. The substitute quickly shoots, but he can't guide his tame effort past two defenders and the home side are easily able to deal with the danger.
28'
Quaresma steps up and curls a dangerous, looping cross right into the heart of the Monaco box, where Pepe rises high but can't quite get the better of Subasic, who does well to punch the ball away from danger.
27'
Rony Lopes gets yellow.
Adriano comfortably gets the better of Lopes as he cuts inside and tries to get a cross away, but he's cynically barged over by the Portuguese and gives away a free-kick in a promising position out wide.
26'
Lemar hasn't been moving at all well since going down off the ball earlier, and he's eventually forced off to be replaced by Stevan Jovetic.
25'
T. Arslan gets yellow.
S. Jovetić enters the game and replaces T. Lemar.
Arslan has been flying into a few challenges since the start of the game, and a mistimed tackle just inside the Besiktas half of the pitch earns him the first yellow card of the evening.
24'
Vital block by Jemerson! Gonul is left in acres of space over on the right-hand side of the Monaco penalty area, allowing him to cut a clever pass back to Tosun. The striker quickly shoots, but his effort is well blocked by Jemerson before it can test Danijel Subasic.
22'
Quaresma is causing plenty of problems for Monaco whenever he has the ball at his feet out wide. This time his delivery into the box narrowly misses Tosun before falling to Ozyakup, who tries to muscle his way past Fabinho but ends up fouling the defensive midfielder in the process.
21'
A clever pass from Tielemans rolls down the right wing and manages to pick out Andrea Raggi in a promising position. The full-back quickly tries to find a team-mate with a first-time cross into the penalty area, but it's underhit by the Italian and makes life easy for Tosic.
19'
Quaresma is clumsily fouled by Jorge after quickly cutting in from the right flank, resulting in a free-kick for Besiktas midway inside the Monaco half of the pitch. The set-piece is taken quickly and worked back to Quaresma, who swings another dangerous cross into the box that only misses Tosun by a yard or two at the far post.
17'
Besiktas were comfortably on top during the opening exchanges, but Monaco have done well to cause the hosts a few problems over the last five minutes. They've weathered an early storm and are now starting to get the likes of Balde and Lemar more involved in advanced areas.
15'
Great chance for Youri Tielemans! The game gets underway once again and the visitors win themselves their first corner of the game. It's Lemar who swings the ball into the penalty area and manages to find Tielemans, who meets the cross on the edge of the six-yard box and forces Fabri into making a decent save.
13'
Thomas Lemar is the latest Monaco player to be left in serious discomfort on the floor. He was barged into by Arslan as the two battled for the ball in the middle of the pitch, and the game is eventually halted after initially continuing with another determined Monaco attacking move.
11'
Ouch! Lopes breaks down the right flank as Monaco try to find some joy inside the final third of the pitch. He's absolutely clattered into by Adriano, however, leaving him on a heap on the floor and sending the ball back to the home side. The tackle was a fair one though, and the game continues as the attacking midfielder gets his breath back.
9'
So close for Tosun once again! This time it's Oguzhan Ozyakup who threads a beautiful pass through the Monaco back line and towards Tosun, who tries to get on the end of it after getting the better of Jemerson but loses out at the vital moment.
7'
Almost an opportunity for Cenk Tosun! Quaresma and Gokhan Gonul link up really well over on the right wing, setting up the full-back to whip a great cross into the penalty area. Tosun launches his body towards the ball and almost meets it, but he fails to make contact with his head by the narrowest of margins.
5'
Monaco are able to push forward on their first real attack of the game after an attempted clearance can only find a red and white shirt. Balde then tries to squeeze his way through a sea of defenders and into the box, but he's well dealt with by Tolgay Arslan and the Besiktas midfielder comes out on top.
3'
Ricardo Quaresma cuts inside from the right flank as Besiktas keep putting pressure on their opponents. He's muscled off the ball, however, and Monaco quickly counter-attack, but Rony Lopes' run into the penalty area is mistimed and the linesman's flag is raised as soon as he tries to set up Keita Balde.
2'
Early chance for Dusko Tosic! Besiktas immediately burst forward and do well to win themselves a corner over on the left wing. It initially fails to result in a chance on goal before a dangerous cross is whipped over to the far post, where Tosic rises high and goes close to giving the home side an early lead.
1'
We're off! Besiktas get us underway, attacking from left to right.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Champions League group stage game between Besiktas and Monaco at Vodafone Park.
It’s now or never for Monaco, who head into tonight’s contest in a precarious position after managing to pick up just one point from their opening three group stage games. Last season’s semi-finalists have really struggled this year, with Porto and Besiktas both beating Leonardo Jardim’s men after they were held to a 1-1 draw by RB Leipzig in their opening clash in September.
If they’re to have any chance of reaching the knockout stage - or even just qualify for the Europa League - Monaco desperately need to win tonight. Another defeat could leave them six points away from second place if Leipzig are victorious against Porto, leaving their fate largely out of their hands heading into another important meeting with the German side later in the month.
It’s been a much better campaign for Besiktas, who currently lead the way in Group G thanks to victories from all of their three games. They impressed in the last meeting against Monaco, when they came from behind to beat their opponents 2-1 thanks to a double for star striker Cenk Tosun, who, with 9 goals from 14 games across all competitions, is attracting plenty of attention from some of Europe’s top clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich booked their places in the Champions League knockout stage with wins last night, and Besiktas can do the same this evening if results go their way. A victory is all the Turkish team need to make it into the last-16 of Europe’s premier competition for the first time in their history, while a draw coupled with a Leipzig win against Porto would also see them progress tonight.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up today…
Senol Gunes has decided to make just two changes to the Besiktas side that started the win against Monaco two weeks ago, with Gokhan Gonul and Oguzhan Ozyakup coming into the starting line-up to replace Caner Erkin and Talisca, respectively.
Meanwhile, Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has made three alterations to the team that featured at the Stade Louis II, with Almamy Toure, Djibril Sidibe and the injured Radamel Falcao making way for Andrea Raggi, Jorge and Rony Lopes.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: BESIKTAS 0-1 MONACO
Besiktas have arguably been the better of the two sides so far, but it's Monaco who head into half-time with a one-goal lead thanks to a wonderful 20-yard finish from Lopes. The Portuguese was presented with the chance to test Fabri thanks to a poor piece of play from Adriano, and he converted the opportunity with aplomb to give Besiktas plenty to think about during the break.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
It's all square at the end of what was a thoroughly entertaining game. A draw seems to be the fairest result, and it's one that keeps Besiktas top of the group and moves them one step closer to a place in the last-16. It's a frustrating result for Monaco, however, as it means that they head into their final two group stage games without a win yet and in desperate need of a positive result against RB Leipzig, who, at the moment, sit in second place.
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