Višća Punishes Göztepe as Başakşehir Steal Late Win in Izmir

Göztepe outshot Başakşehir, outpassed them in the opposition half, and generated the larger share of the chance volume. They still lost. Edin Višća's 83rd-minute right-footed finish, assisted by Onur Bulut, gave Nuri Şahin's side a 2-1 win at ISONEM Park Gürsel Aksel Stadyumu and left Stanimir Stoilov's team with nothing from a match they controlled for long stretches.

Göztepe lined up in a 3-4-1-2, Başakşehir in a 4-2-3-1. The hosts' shape gave them width in the wing-back channels and a two-man front line that pinned Başakşehir's centre-backs early. Juan, operating in the attacking midfield role behind the strikers, drifted into the left half-space repeatedly and found space between Başakşehir's defensive and midfield lines.

That pressure told in the 18th minute. Juan received the ball on the edge of the box, shifted onto his left foot, and finished low. The chance carried an xG of 0.24 — not a tap-in, but a clean look from a central position. Göztepe led 1-0 and had the game where they wanted it.

The lead lasted four minutes. Ivan Brnić delivered a cross from the right and Davie Selke rose to head home in the 22nd. The header was worth just 0.12 xG — a difficult chance, contested, requiring precision. Selke supplied it. Başakşehir were level without having built sustained pressure.

That pattern held through the first half. Başakşehir had 54% possession before the break and took 12 shots to Göztepe's 10, but the hosts' 0.62 xG was nearly identical to the visitors' 0.74. Neither side created a big chance in the opening 45 minutes. Göztepe's front two worked the channels; Başakşehir's midfield double pivot screened the space in front of the back four but struggled to progress the ball through the middle.

The second half was Göztepe's. They pushed their wing-backs higher, moved Juan closer to the strikers, and pinned Başakşehir into a low block. Possession swung to 57% in Göztepe's favour after the break. They took nine shots to Başakşehir's three. They won five corners to Başakşehir's two. They had 13 touches in the box to Başakşehir's four.

The xG map tells the same story. Göztepe generated 0.93 xG after the break; Başakşehir managed 0.61. The hosts' set-piece delivery — 0.54 xG from dead balls in the second half alone — caused repeated problems. Başakşehir's defenders headed clear, blocked shots, and scrambled. But Göztepe could not find the second goal.

Jakub Kałuziński and Rhaldney worked the midfield for Göztepe, with Rhaldney registering 0.09 xG from a late surge into the box. Arda Kurtulan pressed from the front. The chances came — 19 shots in total, 26 touches in the box — but only four found the target. Başakşehir's goalkeeper was busy but not overworked.

Başakşehir had been second-best for much of the second half. They had won 63 duels to Göztepe's 50 across the match, but the hosts' territorial control was absolute after the break. Nuri Şahin's side needed one moment.

It came in the 83rd minute. Onur Bulut, pushing forward from right-back, found Višća in space on the right side of the box. Višća took a touch onto his right foot and finished across goal. The chance was worth 0.36 xG — the best opportunity of the match. Göztepe's defenders had tracked runners all half; this time, Višća found the gap.

Göztepe pushed for an equaliser. They won two late corners, sent bodies forward, and forced Başakşehir into hurried clearances. But the visitors held. The final whistle confirmed a result that the shot count, the possession share, and the xG totals all argued against. Göztepe finished with 1.55 xG to Başakşehir's 1.35. They had 19 shots to 15. They had 51% possession. They lost 2-1.

Davie Selke's individual numbers — one goal, 0.30 xG — led the match. His header in the 22nd minute was the hinge on which the game turned. Without it, Göztepe's early lead might have become a platform. Instead, Başakşehir stayed within touching distance, absorbed pressure, and waited for Višća.

Göztepe's problem was finishing. They created 1.55 xG and scored once. Başakşehir created 1.35 and scored twice. The difference was not chance creation but conversion. Juan's opener was well taken; Selke's header was better; Višća's winner was the best chance of the night. Göztepe's 14 fouls and two yellow cards told of a team that grew frustrated as the game slipped. Başakşehir committed eight fouls and took the points.

The result leaves Göztepe with a familiar complaint: they did enough to win and did not. Başakşehir, for their part, will take a win built on defensive resilience and one moment of quality from Višća. Nuri Şahin's side did not dominate, but they scored when it mattered. Stanimir Stoilov's team will wonder how they lost a match they controlled for 45 minutes.