Besiktas are in pole position to progress in the Europa League after a 2-0 win over Braga in the first leg of their round of 32 tie.
Sivok and Simao strikes see off Braga
Besiktas are in pole position to progress in the Europa League after a 2-0 win over Braga in the first leg of their round of 32 tie.
Goals from Tomas Sivok and Simao were enough to give the Turkish side a commanding advantage to take into the second leg against last season's losing finalists.
Helder Barbosa's first half sending-off for two bookable offences hindered the home side, who must now pull off an extraordinary recovery in the second leg in Turkey in order to book their place in the last 16.
The dangerous Ricardo Quaresma came close to giving the visitors a 15th-minute lead when he curled a long-range shot narrowly over the bar, and two minutes later a weak shot in the box let Braga off.
The game changed in a five minute spell beginning in the 23rd minute when Barbosa was booked for fouling Kavlak, and dismissed in the 28th minute for a repeat offence on Ibrahim Toraman.
Besiktas grabbed the lead 10 minutes before half-time after a sustained period of pressure, Manuel Fernandes flinging in his second consecutive corner and Sivok rising to head past Braga keeper Joaquim Silva.
Braga struggled to respond, with Custudio hitting a long-range effort over the bar, Ruben Amorim also firing wide from long range and Paulo Cesar bringing a comfortable save out of Cenk Gonen from 25 yards.
Egeman Korkmaz headed just over early in the second half for Besiktas but the visitors extended their lead in the 58th minute when Fernandes fed Simao and the forward struck home from 12 yards.
Silva saved Braga from going further behind five minutes from time when he tipped a Kavlak shot round the post, while Hugo Almeida's injury-time effort was blocked in the box by Ewerton.
