'The kind of assist you'd see from Messi!' – Dusan Vlahovic hails Orkun Kokcu after derby heroics

Besiktas mounted a fantastic second-half comeback to beat arch-rivals Fenerbahce 2-1 at Kadikoy on matchday four of the Trendyol Super Lig season. The victory handed the visitors bragging rights in the first Istanbul derby of the campaign.

Fenerbahce took the lead in the 26th minute through captain Milan Skriniar, but Besiktas equalised 12 minutes later via Ridvan Yilmaz.

Dusan Vlahovic completed the turnaround in the 73rd minute, slotting home the decisive goal to seal a memorable away triumph.

Speaking after his first derby appearance in Turkish football, Vlahovic expressed delight at the result while reserving special praise for captain Orkun Kokcu's key assist.

"Orkun Kokcu is a world-class star," Vlahovic said after the match. "Thanks to him, I’ve been scoring a lot of goals. He made another fantastic assist tonight — the kind of assist you’d see from Messi."

"I am lucky to have the opportunity to play alongside him," the striker added. "Even though I scored, it wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't won the game."

Kokcu revealed that he deliberately set up Vlahovic for the winning goal despite having the space to take the shot himself. The Besiktas skipper praised his side's resilience after falling behind early in the match.

"I could have taken the shot for the second goal myself, but I knew Vlahovic would be there," Kokcu explained. "Vlahovic is a top-level player who is hungry for goals."

"Our morale took a bit of a hit when we fell behind, but we bounced back quickly," he added. "We showed everyone that we are a good team."

The away triumph provides Besiktas with a significant boost in the Super Lig standings as they look to build early-season momentum.

Vlahovic emphasized that he is still working toward his peak physical condition and expects to produce even higher goal tallies as the season progresses.

Besiktas will now turn their attention to their upcoming league fixtures, aiming to maintain their strong form following their derby success in Kadikoy.