Dortmund rode an early storm as former BVB striker Michy Batshuayi brought a sensational fingertip save out of Gregor Kobel. Josef de Souza and Rachid Ghezzal threatened with headers, but it was Die Schwarzgelben who drew first blood. Bellingham controlled a cross into the box from Thomas Meunier, before smashing through the legs of Ersin Destanoglu. After chances came and went for Marco Reus and Erling Haaland, BVB doubled their lead. Bellingham was the architect, waltzing in off the left and crossing for Haaland to fire home his 21st Champions League goal in 17 appearances.
Besiktas upped the ante in the second half as Ghezzal flashed an effort off target. Raphael Guerreiro returned fire for Dortmund, but was unable to test Destanoglu. Haaland headed over from Donyell Malen during a furious spell of attacking football. Guerreiro then blocked in front of goal from Atiba Hutchinson, before Destanoglu thwarted the effervescent Bellingham following a teasing run. Batshuayi flunked a one-on-one, while Youssoufa Moukoko tickled the side netting and Ansgar Knauff grazed the bar in an all-action finale. Francisco Montero's injury-time header from a corner was purely academic as BVB came away with a fully deserved win.
Match stats
Aged 18 years and 78 days, Bellingham is the youngest Englishman to score an away Champions League goal.
Haaland was the top scorer in the Champions League last season with 10 goals, scored at a rate of one every 76 minutes he played.
Kobel and Marin Pongracic made their Champions League debuts.
Dortmund and Besiktas had only been drawn together in European competition once before, BVB winning home and away in the first round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.
Besiktas striker Batshuayi scored nine goals in 14 games for Dortmund on loan from Chelsea in the 2017/18 Rückrunde.
Champions League Matchday 1 Matchday 1 Vodafone Park, Istanbul
90'
+ 7
DESERVED WIN
Shaky finish, but an otherwise compoased performance from BVB. Bellingham and Haaland the scorers as they kick off their Group C campaign with a solid away win.
Full-time
90'
+ 4
BESIKTAS PULL ONE BACK
Uh-oh! Witsel loses Montero from a Pjanic corner, and the Spanish defender places his header just out of Kobel's reach. Nervy moments for BVB - can they hold on?
Moukoko drives at the Besiktas defence, before firing into the side netting. If he can score in the closing stages, he'll become the youngest scorer in Champions League history.
Moukoko, 16 and making his second Champions League appearance, is involved immediately. He finds Reus, who flicks it on for Haaland. The Norway striker shows a great piece of control, before driving at Destanoglu in the Besiktas goal.
End-to-end football as Ghezzal sends Batshuayi through on goal. His first touch isn't the best, though, and Kobel is out to make the stop.
67'
BELLINGHAM!
Destanoglu denies Bellingham his second of the night, after the England international had jinked past THREE men. That all came about following a quick counter. The way Besiktas are pushing BVB will continue to find joy on the break.
65'
DEFENSIVE WALL
Besiktas are asking questions of the Dortmund defence as Akanji thwarts Batshuayi and Guerreiro blocks from Hutchinson.
61'
KARAMAN, ANYONE?
If Kenan Karaman rings a bell it's probably because he made 102 Bundesliga appearances, plus a further 59 in Bundesliga 2, across spells with Hoffenheim, Hannover and Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Ghezzal flashes an effort off target from 20 yards. Guerreiro follows suit for Dortmund, but doesn't test the goalkeeper.
50'
LET'S TALK ABOUT ERLING
Erling Haaland has now scored 21 goals in 17 Champions League appearances, including 12 in 10 for BVB. He was the 10-goal top scorer in last season's Champions League - don't bet against him defending his title in 2021/22.
46'
WITSEL ON
Rose guarding aganst complaceny as the more defensive-minded Axel Witsel replaces Julian Brandt.
Bellingham with a goal and assist has been Besiktas's undoing. He's the youngest Englishman to score away in the Champions League, aged 18 years and 78 days.
Half-time
45'
+ 3
HAALAND GOAL!
Dortmund double their lead on the stroke of half-time. A quick throw catches Besiktas cold - Bellingham weaves in off the left and knows exactly where to find Haaland, who steers home from inside the box with his trusty left foot. What a half by BVB!
Guerreiro stands over a free-kick - he scored a beauty at the weekend - but it's a decoy. Reus hits it, lifting the ball up and over the Besiktas wall, and forcng a save from the goalkeeper.
45'
TIME ADDED ON
Three additional minutes at the end of the first half...
42'
HOME RUN
Besiktas have scored in their last 24 home matches, but haven't troubled BVB since those opening exchanges. You have to credit BVB, who have really grown into the contest. It's almost as if they're the home team.
36'
SERVICE RESUMES
Pjanic is back on his feet after twisting his neck. Play resumes with Dortmund on the hunt for a second goal. Besiktas have been on the back-foot for a good 25 minutes.
BELLING-THE-MAN!
It's now six goals in 53 competitive Dortmund appearances for 18-year-old Bellingham - including two in 11 Champions League games. What a talent!
Here come Dortmund again with Haaland. His pass is back-heeled into the feet of Reus by Brandt, but the BVB skipper can only place his effort from inside the area straight at Destanoglu.
27'
HAALAND MISCUES!
Big, big chance not take by the usually ice-cold Haaland. He scoops over after a determined left-wing run from Malen. Dortmund have their tails up!
20'
HEY, JUDE!
Dortmund strike against the run of play, with their first effort on the Besiktas goal! After patient passing in the defensive ranks, Dahoud sprays a diagonal pass out to Meunier. His cross into the area finds Bellingham, who kills it on the chest and smashes through the legs of Destanoglu.
Besiktas exploit Dortmund's early jitters once more as Ghezzal's cross finds N'Sakala at the far post. He tries to help it on, but Kobel's there to intervene.
7'
CHANCE!
And from Pjanic's ensuring corner, Souza heads over. Dortmund need to get a grip on this game, and fast!
6'
KING KOBEL!
Batshuayi's really up for this. He holds off his man, before unleashing a fierce half-volleyed effort that a flying Kobel manages to claw away. Sensational goalkeeping. Dortmund yet to get a foothold on the game, not helped by a vociferous home crowd.
2'
OVER FROM BATS
N'Sakala gets in behnd Meunier and crosses for Batshuayi, but his header sails comfortably over.
1'
UNDER WAY!
The ball's rolling at the İnönü Stadyumu. Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz, who oversaw last season's Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City, is the man in the middle.
Kick-off!
ATTACK VS. DEFENCE
Dortmund are the Bundesliga's joint-best scorers so far this season, with 13 goals. BVB share the lead with Bayern, whom they also scored past in the Supercup, adding to their three DFB Cup strikes against Wehen Wiesbaden. Besiktas are yet to concede in four this term...
SEASON SO FAR
Dortmund have made an encouraging start under Rose, taking nine points from a possible 12 in the Bundesliga. They're also through to the DFB Cup second round, but lost the Supercup 3-1 to Bayern. Bestikas, for their part, top the Turkish SüperLig on goal difference (W3, D1).
0:55
WATCH: WHEN BATS MET BVB
Former Dortmund striker Michy Batshuayi leads the Besiktas line for this one. The Belgian spent the second half of the 2017/18 season on loan at Dortmund from Chelsea, scoring nine goals in 14 competitive appearances. He opened his Besiktas account at the third time of asking this past weekend with a brace against Yeni Malatyaspor.
2:03
WATCH: BAYER LEVERKUSEN 3-4 BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Erling Haaland scored twice in a Bundesliga classic this past weekend. He's now on eight goals in six competitive games for the season...
MORE ON THOSE TEAMS
Marco Rose makes two changes to the side that thrice came from behnd to shade a seven-goal thriller with Bayer Leverkusen. Fit-again defender Mats Hummels makes his first start of the campaign, replacing Marin Pongracic, while Donyell Malen comes in for Axel Witsel, who drops to the bench.
The Dortmund forward has 45 goals in 47 league appearances for BVB...and if that's not impressive enough, 65 in 65 competitive appearances for the club. Be afraid, Besiktas.
GOOD OMEN
BVB are unbeaten in their four previous away games against Turkish clubs, winning three, and have won six of eight meetings with Turkish sides, losing just once. If that's not having history on your side...
SAMMER: 'HAALAND IS A JOY TO WATCH'
Another Dortmund icon, 1996 Ballon d'Or winner Matthias Sammer, has been heaping praise on Haaland: "He's a joy to watch. You have to say that the decision to move from Salzburg to Dortmund was highly interesting. To be able to go on this journey with his ambition, willpower, physical strength and footballing development is incredible."
KOHLER ON DORTMUND
Jürgen Kohler, part of Dortmund's 1996/97 Champions League winning side expects a lot from Erling Haaland: "Dortmund have a player who can make the difference in Haaland. They have an easy group on paper, but that can be deceptive. Ajax are the main challengers, but starting with an away game against Beşiktaş is not to be underestimated."
WELCOME!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Borussia Dortmund's UEFA Champions League opener in Istanbul. Can Marco Rose's men match Bayern and get off to a flying start in the group stage? Stay with us for build-up and live text commentary of the game from 6.45 CEST.
