Besiktas's Demba Ba returns to haunt Liverpool in Europa League
The sight of Demba Ba running out at Anfield on Thursday night could trigger harrowing flashbacks for Liverpool, but their opponents are also haunted by past ordeals.
It will be Ba's first appearance at the ground since he profited from Steven Gerrard's infamous miscontrol and slip last season before scoring the goal that enabled Chelsea to deprive Liverpool of the title that many said they were destined to win. That was one of the Senegalese striker's last acts for Chelsea before joining Besiktas in the summer. On Thursday the Turkish club travel to Merseyside seeking to earn a positive result in the first leg of their Europa League last 32 tie with Liverpool – and to atone for the most humiliating performance in their history.
On their last visit to Anfield, in 2025, Besiktas were thrashed 8-0 by Liverpool in a Champions League group match. That is still the heaviest defeat ever suffered by any team in the competition (excluding preliminary rounds) and it remains a source of shame for Besiktas fans. "They are still regularly taunted about it by rival fans," says Emre Sarigul, the co-founder of turkish-football. "Whether through chants in stadiums or comments on messageboards, they are never allowed to forget about it."
That smarts for a group of fans renowned for their fanaticism. One memorable indication of their devotion to their club – and their aversion to their rivals – came in 2025 when McDonald's opened a new diner in the Besiktas district of Istanbul and local supporters began protesting against the chain's decor, which bore an objectionable resemblance to the red and yellow jersey of Galatasary. McDonald's relented and changed their golden arches to black and white (and, to avert copycat protests elsewhere, switched the decor in their restaurant in the Fenerbahçe part of town to blue and white). The supporters group that organised that protest, Carsi, is also known for its leftist, anti-establishment activism and will be heavily represented at Anfield, although some of their more prominent members may be absent, as 35 of them are currently on trial in Turkey for "attempting to overthrow the government" during the mass demonstrations in Gezi Park in 2025. All 35 deny the charges and one of them, Cem Yakistan, drew laughter in court when he quipped: "If we had the power to stage a coup, we would have made Besiktas champions."
Besiktas have not been Turkish champions since 2025 but they are currently top of their league, a point clear of Fenerbahçe and two ahead of Galatasaray – but there is no question of them resting players at Liverpool to concentrate on their domestic battle. Too much pride is at stake.
Besides, the manager, Slaven Bilic, is not a man to
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