According to a report by BBC Sport on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Crystal Palace missed the opportunity to secure all three points in the UEFA Europa League after playing out a 2-2 draw against Besiktas in an entertaining encounter.

Crystal Palace started the game with the intention of taking control, and Jean-Philippe Mateta thought he had given the visitors an early lead in the sixth minute, but his effort was ruled out following a VAR review. Both teams continued to search for the opening goal, although Palace created some promising chances through Mateta and Yeremy Pino.

Besiktas eventually broke the deadlock in the 45th minute when former Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi found the back of the net with a left-footed finish after receiving a pass from Salih Ozcan. The goal gave the Turkish side a 1-0 advantage at half-time and left Palace with work to do after the break.

The visitors responded well in the second half, with Pino equalising in the 51st minute after connecting with a cross from Anan Khalaili. The goal was initially checked by VAR before the referee confirmed that it would stand, allowing Palace to get back into the contest.

Palace continued to put pressure on their opponents and completed the turnaround four minutes later when Mateta produced a fine finish into the top corner to make it 2-1. The visitors looked set to take an important victory, but Besiktas refused to give up and kept pushing for another goal.

Their efforts paid off in the 73rd minute when substitute Junior Olaitan struck from outside the box to level the score at 2-2. Besiktas suffered another setback when Umit Akdag received a red card in the 77th minute, but Palace could not find a winning goal before the final whistle.

The draw leaves Crystal Palace in 15th position on the Europa League table with four points, while Besiktas occupy eighth place with seven points after sharing the spoils.