“I’ve never seen anything like this in Türkiye before”: Beşiktaş’s flawless start under Italiano
Beşiktaş have opened the new season with a run that is already being talked about as one of the most striking starts in recent Turkish football history. Under new head coach Vincenzo Italiano, the black-and-whites have won their first five official matches – and have yet to concede a single goal.
On a recent football show, pundit Onur Tuğrul highlighted the scale of what Beşiktaş have done in these opening weeks. Emphasising both the results and the defensive perfection, he summed it up with a sentence that quickly became a headline:
“Five official games, five wins, all of them clean sheets. I have never seen anything like this before in Türkiye.”
His colleague Emre Bol immediately backed that view and simply added:
“I haven’t seen it either.”
Five games, five wins, zero goals conceded
The numbers behind the praise are straightforward but remarkable. Beşiktaş’s first five official matches under Italiano were:
– Two fixtures against Midtjylland
– Two fixtures against Hradec Kralove
– The opening game of the Süper Lig season against Eyüpspor
Beşiktaş won all five encounters and kept their goal intact in each of them. It is not just a winning streak; it is a streak built on total defensive control. Clean sheets in European qualifiers are already valuable, but to carry that solidity straight into the league and maintain the same level suggests the team has quickly absorbed the coach’s ideas.
Why this start stands out
In Turkish football, it is not uncommon to see big clubs begin the year with a few victories in a row. What makes this Beşiktaş run so eye-catching is the flawless defensive record: no goals conceded in five competitive matches under a new coach with a new system and several new roles within the team structure.
For a squad that has often been criticised in recent years for defensive lapses and individual mistakes at the back, such a sudden transformation naturally raises expectations. When experts say they have “never seen anything like this before in Türkiye,” they are underlining how rare it is for a major club to combine a perfect start in terms of points with this level of defensive precision from day one.
The Italiano effect: clear structure, compact team
Vincenzo Italiano is known for building sides that play proactive, organised football. At Beşiktaş, his initial impact is most visible in the team’s shape without the ball:
– The back line moves as a unit rather than as individuals.
– Central midfielders screen passing lanes and press in a coordinated way.
– Wingers contribute heavily to defensive work, closing down full-backs and cutting off switches of play.
Instead of relying on last-ditch tackles or heroic goalkeeping alone, Beşiktaş look like a side that prevents danger from developing in the first place. Opponents have struggled to create clear chances, and many attacks break down before they reach the penalty area.
This kind of collective discipline rarely appears overnight. The fact that the team already shows these traits so early in the season is a sign that the message from the coaching staff is getting through quickly and clearly.
The importance of a top-class goalkeeper
Another key factor in this defensive renaissance is the quality between the posts. Many Beşiktaş supporters feel the club has finally found a truly elite goalkeeper for the first time in roughly two decades. That perception alone tells you how significant this signing is.
A high-level keeper doesn’t just make saves; he changes the mentality of the entire back line. Defenders are more confident holding a high line, full-backs dare to push forward, and the whole team can maintain aggression knowing that there is real security behind them.
When you combine such a goalkeeper with a compact defensive setup and disciplined pressing, you get exactly the kind of streak Beşiktaş are currently enjoying: opponents find it hard even to get a shot on target, and when they do, they run into a keeper in excellent form.
Don’t exaggerate – the season is long
At the same time, there are more measured voices cautioning against overreaction. A part of the fanbase insists that the clean-sheet streak should be seen as a bonus, not as a standard that must be maintained forever.
The logic is simple:
– At some point, Beşiktaş will concede a goal – that is inevitable in football.
– Turning “not conceding” into an obsession only creates unnecessary mental pressure on the players.
– Each clean sheet is a positive statistic, but the real goal is to keep winning matches and building a strong, consistent performance level across the entire season.
Another point raised is the strength of early opponents. Critics note that, on paper, Beşiktaş were the stronger side in all five matches. From that perspective, the expectation was to go through the European ties and start the league with a win. According to this view, the perfect run should be recognised but not turned into a myth.
Were the opponents really weak?
On the other side of the argument, some observers reject the idea that all of Beşiktaş’s early opponents were inferior. They point out that:
– Midtjylland were already well into their league season, having played around 20 games and showing match sharpness.
– The Danish club finished third in their domestic league and were competitive in European competitions the previous year.
– From a physical and tactical standpoint, Midtjylland arguably entered the tie in better rhythm than Beşiktaş, who were just beginning their official calendar.
From this angle, knocking out a seasoned European opponent with two wins and no goals conceded is not something that can be dismissed lightly. The same goes for Eyüpspor: while newly promoted, they are not considered a weak side. Instead, Beşiktaş’s commanding play made them look more limited than they actually are.
Tactical maturity and game management
What truly stands out in this five-match stretch is not just the clean sheets, but how Beşiktaş control the rhythm of games. Under Italiano, the team shows several signs of tactical maturity:
– When in the lead, they know when to slow the tempo, circulate the ball and frustrate rivals.
– When needed, they press high and aggressively to recover possession quickly.
– The midfield lines stay compact, making it hard for opposition playmakers to find space between the lines.
This combination of control and intensity means Beşiktaş rarely get dragged into chaotic, end-to-end games. Instead, they dictate how the match is played – a crucial trait for any team with title ambitions.
Managing expectations: praise with realism
The early weeks of a season are always dangerous when it comes to drawing conclusions. A flawless start can tempt both media and fans into big declarations: “the title is ours,” “this coach is a genius,” or “this team is unbeatable.”
A more balanced view acknowledges both sides:
– Yes, winning five out of five and not conceding a goal is an exceptional achievement that deserves recognition.
– Yes, Italiano’s influence, the improved defence and the presence of a top goalkeeper have clearly changed the team’s outlook.
– But no, this does not guarantee that the rest of the season will follow the same pattern. Injuries, fixture congestion, form dips and stronger opponents will all test Beşiktaş in different ways.
The healthiest attitude for the club and its fans is to use this start as a confidence booster, not as a definitive verdict. The foundation looks solid; now it must be sustained.
The role of criticism from respected figures
In Turkish football culture, comments from respected former players and coaches are often taken very seriously. When an experienced figure expresses doubts about a new coach or a tactical direction, supporters naturally pay attention and sometimes become anxious.
In the case of Italiano, the key is to separate long-term assessment from short-term emotion. Even the most successful coaches faced scepticism at the beginning of their tenures. Early criticism can be useful if it highlights tactical blind spots or potential weaknesses, but it should not overshadow clear evidence on the pitch: Beşiktaş currently look organised, motivated and confident.
Over time, results against stronger domestic rivals and in the later stages of European competition will provide a better basis for judging whether the reservations were justified or premature.
Psychological benefits of a defensive streak
Aside from the statistics themselves, five consecutive clean sheets have a powerful psychological effect:
– Defenders feel proud and protective of the record, which pushes them to maintain concentration.
– The midfield understands the value of their defensive contribution and presses more willingly.
– The goalkeeper grows in authority, shouting instructions and commanding the box with even more confidence.
At the same time, it is crucial for the technical staff to keep players grounded. The message inside the dressing room is usually along the lines of: “The streak is nice, but it will end one day. What must not end is our commitment to defending as a team.”
What this start could mean for the title race
Although it is far too early to talk about a championship as a certainty, such a strong opening inevitably shapes the title narrative:
– Rivals are immediately reminded that Beşiktaş are serious contenders.
– A strong start creates a points cushion that can prove vital in the spring, when fatigue and injuries accumulate.
– Confidence built during these weeks can help the team handle difficult away fixtures and high-pressure derbies later on.
If Beşiktaş can maintain even a portion of this defensive stability while gradually improving their attacking combinations, they will be in an excellent position to challenge at the top of the table.
Conclusion: historic start, real tests still ahead
Beşiktaş’s run of five wins and five clean sheets under Vincenzo Italiano is already one of the standout stories of the season. Commentators are justified in saying they have “never seen anything like this before in Türkiye,” because such a combination of results and defensive perfection is genuinely rare.
At the same time, a realistic perspective is essential. The season is just beginning; stronger opponents and more complex challenges are still to come. What matters most is not whether the clean-sheet streak continues forever, but whether Beşiktaş can preserve the discipline, organisation and belief that produced it.
For now, the signal is clear: under Italiano, Beşiktaş have found a new identity built on structure, collective effort and a goalkeeper capable of making the difference. If they can carry these traits through the long campaign ahead, this impressive opening may be remembered as the moment a new era truly began.