Besiktas battle back

Proud record
After a goalless first half, a wonderful free-kick from Sergen Yalçin had given Besiktas the lead, but a quickfire double from Fenerbahçe's Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk swung the game in the home side's favour. Besiktas' unbeaten start to the season looked in danger until substitute Ahmed Hassan headed in Tümer Metin's 74th-minute free-kick to ensure a share of the spoils - and stretch the leaders' proud record to 21 consecutive Superleague games without defeat.

Chelsea challenge
Besiktas fans will expect their side to further extend that run next weekend when they entertain Adanaspor AS, who lost by the odd goal in five to Samsunspor and dropped to 18th on Sunday, ahead of their decisive UEFA Champions League Group G tie against English Premiership leaders Chelsea FC.

Late leveller
Trabzonspor failed to capitalise on the leaders dropping points by drawing 2-2 themselves - for the second week in a row. Gökdeniz Karadeni gave them a 17th-minute lead thanks to an assist from Fatih Tekke but the side then failed to press home their advantage, conceding a leveller to Ümit Ozan on the hour. Hans Somers restored the visitors' advantage but former Galatasaray SK striker Saffet Akyüz did his old side a favour by scoring an 87th-minute equaliser - preventing Trabzonspor from pulling away in second place.

Lead lost
As it stands, Galatasaray are third only on goal difference - but could have been sitting in second place had they too not drawn 2-2. The home side threw away a two-goal lead against Malatyaspor at the Atatürk Olympic stadium, conceding twice in five second-half minutes to Muhammed Akagündüz and Celaleddin Koçak to the dismay of the home crowd. A free-kick from César Prates had given Galatasaray the lead which Ovidiu Petre's volley doubled - but they will hope for better resistance should they take the lead against Juventus FC in the rearranged UEFA Champions League Group D game in Dortmund on Tuesday.

Sole winners
Denizlispor were the only side in the top six to win, seeing off UEFA Cup contenders Gençlerbirligi SK 3-1. After Ersen Martin's opener had been cancelled out by Filip Daems, Timuçin Bayazit scored two second-half goals - his first in the Superleague since August. His side climbed up to fourth ahead of their game next weekend against struggling Konyaspor, who recorded their sixth successive draw, a 1-1 tie with MKE Ankaragücü, on Saturday.

Lazarov rescue
Bülent Bölükbasi and Zdravko Lazarov scored the goals as UEFA Cup hopefuls Gaziantepspor made hard work of winning 2-1 against Istanbulspor AS, for whom Alexandar Yordanov scored a 66th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot. Lazarov's winner came ten minutes from time but his side remain in seventh position ahead of their tricky trip to face Trabzonspor next weekend.

Basement battles
Elazigspor moved off the bottom after ending their 13-week wait for a second victory of the season by defeating fellow strugglers Bursaspor 1-0 thanks to substitute Eser Yagmu's 62nd-minute goal. Bursapor face another basement battle when they travel to Rise next weekend to face Çaykur Rizespor, who narrowly lost out to a solitary Muzaffer Bilazer goal against Akçaabat Sebatspor in the Black Sea derby.