01/10/2003  Chelsea 0 Besiktas 2
 
Chelsea were brought down to earth with a bump as their unbeaten start to the season was ended by Turkish champions Besiktas.

Sergen Yalcin scored twice in the space of five first-half minutes to haul Besiktas back into Group G contention.

The one consolation for Chelsea - who played against 10 men for the final 39 minutes after Ilhan Mansiz was sent off - was that Lazio were held at home by Sparta Prague in the night's other game.

Yalcin first after 23 minutes, sweeping home a cross with a firm shot which was deflected past Carlo Cudicini by John Terry's outstretched arm.

Then after 28 minutes goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba hit a long clearance, Marcel Desailly slipped and Cudicini missed the ball completely - leaving Turkey international Yalcin to fire the ball into an unguarded net.

Claudio Ranieri's expensive all-stars failed to perform, as Chelsea looked to consolidate that opening Group G victory at Sparta Prague a fortnight ago.

Despite a bright opening, Chelsea could not find a clear route to goal.

Then Ranieri was forced to make a change after 23 minutes as Celestine Babayaro suffered a knock and was replaced by Wayne Bridge - before the Blues boss saw his plans upset further as Besiktas scored twice in five minutes.

From the restart Mansiz took a free-kick on the left and played the ball down the flank to Uzulmez Ibrahim. His low first-time cross was swept goalwards by Yalcin and deflected past Cudicini by Terry.

Things went from bad to worse after 28 minutes as the Turks took a firmer grip with a route-one goal for Yalcin.

Cordoba hit a long clearance down the middle, Desailly slipped and Cudicini jumped and embarrassingly missed the ball completely, leaving last season's top scorer to fire the ball into an empty net.

An injury-time booking for Mansiz for kicking away the ball was to prove significant.

Ranieri had to react so it was no surprise to see the half-time double substitution of Damien Duff and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink replacing Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo.

Chelsea were then handed a numerical advantage after 51 minutes when Mansiz was sent off.

The Besiktas striker raced on to a through ball and despite being pulled up for offside he chipped the ball beyond Cudicini and into the net. Mansiz claimed not to have heard the whistle but was shown a second yellow card.

Veron might have done better on the hour when Lampard beat three men and crossed, only for the Argentinian to head wide.

Chelsea were briefly reduced to 10 men as William Gallas hobbled off with an ankle injury after 63 minutes before returning soon after.

Ranieri's men spurned further chances in the closing stages and when the final whistle confirmed the end of their unbeaten run.

In contrast, it was party time for the Turks as their well-behaved army of 1,100 fans celebrated their triumph.