Q7 returns with a bang as Beşiktaş hits Zavrc for five

Striker Ricardo Quaresma looked in good shape as he returned to action for Beşiktaş after a three-season hiatus.(Photo: Today's Zaman, Mahmut Burak Bürkük)

Portugal playmaker and crowd-pleaser Ricardo Quaresma returned to action forBeşiktaş in a warm-up match against NK Zavrc in Slovenia after a three-season hiatus on Wednesday.

And Quaresma, aka Q7, thrilled the faithful with his trademark acrobatics, superb ball control and incisive passing despite playing for only 20 minutes or so. Beşiktaş then went on to win 5-0.

Q7, wearing the No. 17 shirt, came in as a substitute for Netherlands-born attacking midfielder Oğuzhan Özyakup in the 71st minute and his presence was immediately felt. He became the target of vicious tackles by the Slovenian side though his acrobatic shots earned plaudits from friend and foe alike.

The fleet-footed Portuguese crowned an overall enthralling performance with a superb assist in the 87th to İsmail Köybaşı and the left-back made no mistake in banging in the fourth goal for Beşiktaş.

Match details

Striker Cenk Tosun opened the scoring for the Black Eagles in the 28th, slotting the ball into the back of the net during a goalmouth scramble.

Australia-born defender Ersan Gülüm was on target on the stroke of half-time (45th), when he hit a powerful shot past hapless NK Zavrc keeper Dominik Picak to put the Eagles 2-0 up.

After the interval, it was Beşiktaş all the way and the Eagles got their third goal from a spectacular Oğuzhan free kick in the 69th. İsmail reconnected a Quaresma pass into the net in the 87th to increase the lead to 4-0. Striker Mustafa Pektemek scored two minutes later (89th) to seal the deal: NK Zavrc 0, Beşiktaş 5.

Interestingly though, this was the first victory for the Black Eagles in their warm-up matches and they won on Wednesday with style and panache. Şenol Güneş's Beşiktaş had previously lost 2-0 to Austria's Sturm Graz and drawn 2-2 with Ligue 1 giant Nice, which walloped Turkish champion Galatasaray 4-0 on Tuesday.

Quaresma, who first joined Beşiktaş on June 13, 2010, can be very temperamental at times. On April 25, 2011, he and veteran co-striker Nihat Kahveci had a spat on the pitch. Nihat was upset at Quaresma for failing to pass him the ball and the quarrel was quelled following the intervention of teammates.

Quaresma later had an altercation with then-coach Carlos Carvalhal in the dressing room at half-time after Carvalhal had substituted him with İsmail in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League match that the Eagles lost 3-1 to Atletico Madrid on March 8, 2012.

Quaresma reportedly did not take it lightly and started throwing water bottles before launching a stinging attack at Carvalhal. Quaresma was released by the club on Dec. 20, 2012, six months before his contract ended; Beşiktaş deciding to pay him 1.48 million euros for the remainder of his contract.

At 31, Quaresma is older and has gotten more mature and therefore should be in a position to control his temper, or at least let's hope so.