Besiktas 2-1 Partizan Belgrade

Demba Ba's second-half double kept Besiktas on track for the Europa League knockout stages as they completed a double over Partizan Belgrade.The former Chelsea striker converted a 55th-minute penalty and then added a second goal seven minutes later to secure three more Group C points to go with those they collected in Serbia last month following a 4-0 victory, Partizan's heaviest ever home defeat in Europe.However, the visitors very nearly snatched a point at the end when, after Sasa Markovic had reduced the deficit with a 78th-minute strike from distance - his side's first goal in the group - substitute Danko Lazovic crashed a shot against the bar deep into injury time.Besiktas started strongly with midfielder Gokhan Tore forcing a fine 16th-minute save from Partizan goalkeeper Milan Lukac from 20 yards.Captain Tomas Sivok headed over from Tore's corner six minutes later and midfielder Olcay Sahan drilled a long-range shot too high with the Turkish side piling on the pressure.The visitors managed to keep their hosts at bay until 10 minutes into the second half when Tore was fouled by Vojislav Stankovic inside the box and after Romanian referee Alexandru Tudor had pointed to the spot and booked the defender, Ba stepped up to despatch the penalty past Lukac.Lukac fielded Veli Kavlak's 35-yard effort four minutes later as the home side went for the kill, but he was beaten once again by Ba with 62 minutes gone with the game seemingly slipping rapidly away from Partizan.Markovic gave the visitors hope with a 25-yard strike 12 minutes from time, and they very nearly reeled Besiktas in when, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Lazovic struck the crossbar from point-blank range.ends