Wilfred Ndidi believes Besiktas can take encouragement from their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in the UEFA Europa League, after praising the Turkish side’s ability to compete with clubs from Europe’s leading domestic competitions.
The Black Eagles remain unbeaten in the group phase following an entertaining contest against the Premier League team on Thursday night.
Ndidi put Besiktas in front shortly before half-time, scoring his first goal of the season for the Turkish giants. Crystal Palace responded strongly after the interval, with Yeremi Pino and Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring in quick succession to turn the match around.
Besiktas avoided defeat when substitute Junior Olaitan equalised late on to secure a point for the hosts.
Reflecting on the match, Ndidi said his side had improved after beginning both halves slowly.
“It was a good match. We started slowly in the first half, but we gained momentum and scored the goal. The same thing happened in the second half. Overall, it was a good match,” the Nigeria midfielder said after the final whistle.
The former Leicester City player also pointed to Besiktas’ performances against opponents from Europe’s major leagues as evidence of the club’s progress.
“Besiktas is a great club. We’re showing ourselves against teams coming from big leagues.
“We’re on the right track, everyone is working hard. Everyone is fighting. Everything is going great,” he added.
The draw leaves Besiktas eighth in the UEFA Europa League standings. They remain inside the automatic play-off qualification places with seven points from three matches.