The former Reds midfielder starred in the 2005 Champions League final, and believes Besiktas' turnaround against Benfica was a similar comeback

Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has compared Besiktas' three-goal comeback against Benfica to Liverpool's famous 2005 Champions League final win.

The Reds were 3-0 down at half-time when Hamann was brought on at half-time for Steve Finnan, going on to score the first penalty in the shootout after Liverpool had come back to 3-3.

Liverpool went on to win 3-2 on penalties, leading to a triumph now known as 'the Miracle of Istanbul'.

Hamann believes that Besiktas' fight back against Benfica echoed Liverpool's as the Turkish club needed three second-half goals to level matters in Istanbul.

Manager Senol Gunes made two changes at the interval, introducing Cenk Tosun who scored Besiktas' first goal, before a penalty from Ricardo Quaresma and a late strike from Vincent Aboubakar saw the game finish in a draw.

"They were probably given as much chance as people had given us 11 years ago," Hamann told RTE. 

"But what a remarkable comeback. It started with an absolute screamer of a goal. Tosun with a great bicycle kick, then Quaresma with a penalty, and then look at that rabona! What a cross, he puts it in on a sixpence to Aboubakar, and he finishes off.

"At half-time they're nearly down and out because you're expecting Napoli to beat Kiev, but now they're right back in it. It's in their hands now. It would be a remarkable achievement after the first-half."

Besiktas are now just a point behind first place in Group B, but know that a win over Dynamo Kiev in their final group game will guarantee their progress to the knockout stage of the Champions League.