Hello everyone. The Europa League group stage comes to an end this evening, and although we already know the teams progressing from Group C, there is still one question to be answered. Who will finish top? Besiktas host Tottenham Hotspur this evening with top spot up for grabs.

Qualification has been secured by both of these sides, but finishing second increases your chances of meeting one of the teams who enter the knockout stages from the Champions League. Spurs hold the advantage in Group C at the moment. Mauricio Pochettino's side are two points clear at the top, and will finish as winners if they avoid defeat tonight. Besiktas need a win in front of their supporters to snatch top spot.

Before we go any further, let's take a look at the two teams.

SPURS: Vorm; Walker, Chiriches, Kaboul, Rose; Dembele, Stambouli; Townsend, Paulinho, Chadli; Soldado
SUBS: Lloris, Lennon, Lamela, Fazio, Capoue, Davies, Onomah

BESIKTAS: Zengin; Kurtulus, Franco, Gulum, Motta; Sosa; Tore, Uysal, Koyunlu, Sahan; Tosun
SUBS: Metin, Koybasi, Karaal, Nukan, Kaya, Yaman

Mauricio Pochettino has made 10 changes to the side which drew against Crystal Palace on the weekend, with only Roberto Soldado keeping his place. The big news is that Kyle Walker makes his return from injury in defence, while there are also starts for Andros Townsend, Paulinho and Michel Vorm.

Besiktas have been hit by injuries in recent weeks, and the big disappointment for the hosts is that Demba Ba misses out. Cenk Tosun will lead the line in his absence, with support arriving from the likes of Gokhan Tore and Olcay Sahan.

This is @kylewalker2's first start since March 13. #COYS pic.twitter.com/TLL5grNa9i — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2014

Despite the changes, Pochettino has made it clear how important he feels finishing top in Group C is for Spurs.

"We play for first place in the group and this is important because there is a good benefit to finishing first, you have the chance to play away in the first leg in the knockout stage," the Argentine told the club's website.

"We expect a very difficult game because Besiktas is a strong team. It was difficult at Tottenham but now we are ready to compete and we want to get a victory to be at the top of the table."

Pochettino mentioned the game between these two sides at the start of October. It proved to be a disappointing night for Spurs as Demba Ba scored a late penalty to cancel out Harry Kane's strike in a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane. Both strikers are missing tonight.

Kane, Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb have all been left home by Pochettino. His trust in those three youngsters in recent weeks suggests that it's a time of change at White Hart Lane. Have the experienced internationals been given their last chance in the Premier League?

18 - Tottenham are unbeaten in 18 Europa League group stage matches (W12 D6). Sufficient. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 11, 2014

Kickoff is less than five minutes away. The ground is far from full in Besiktas, who have played their games at a few different grounds this season while Inonu Stadium is being redeveloped.

Here we go then. The pre-match handshakes are out of the way, and we're ready for some action. It will be Besiktas who get the game underway.

We started a little bit late for some reason, but the game is underway. Despite there being plenty of empty seats, the Besiktas fans are already making a lot of noise. Spurs dominating possession early on.

It's been a scrappy start to the game, with both sides giving the ball away on a number of occasions. Spurs have been unable to move further up the pitch in the early stages.

Tosun is being asked to close down the Spurs defence on his own, but he has looked isolated so far. Spurs are hitting the wall in midfield, with Chiriches and Kaboul seeing more of the ball than anyone else at the moment.

Besiktas look far from comfortable defending a corner as Zengin comes out of his goal only to see a teammate head to the edge of the box, where Townsend fires in a shot which gets blocked. Rose then delivers a cross which is just too high for Soldado in the middle. Spurs on top.

PLAY STOPPED: Spurs aren't having much luck in the Europa League. The lights have gone out in Turkey, and the referee is forced to take the players off the field. Every Besiktas supporters has turned their phone light on, but I'm afraid that won't be enough.

Well, there's very little I can tell you at the moment. The lights are still off, and the Besiktas supporters have decided to entertain themselves in the stands. Both sides are off the pitch, but it's unclear how long the delay will last.

This is how it looks inside the stadium as it stands. pic.twitter.com/6CLgyDGKyM

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2014

You would be surprised if an electrical problem was enough to see this game abandoned, but this delay will not be a help to either team. The pace of the game was just beginning to pick up before the floodlights went out. Spurs had started the brighter of the two sides.

There has been an announcement inside the ground that the lights will be back on inside the next five minutes.

Forget five minutes, the players are back out on the pitch! Someone has decided to stick a few quid in the meter and it looks like the game will get back underway after a quick warm-up for both sides. The game will resume in the eighth minute.

We're back underway with a throw-in for Besiktas. Let's hope the delay doesn't have a big impact on the game.

Half chances for both sides as Tosun flicks a weak header straight at Vorm, before Chiriches rises highest at the other end to send a glancing header just past the post.

Good goalkeeping from Vorm as he storms off his line to collect the ball after a long pass over Kaboul's head had released the lively Tosun.

A couple of mistakes from Walker and Dembele piles the pressure on the visitors, but Spurs are let off the hook when Tosun strays into an offside to collect a pass from Tore.

It's Spurs who take the direct approach now as Soldado flicks Vorm's long kick into the path of Chadli, who uses the space on the edge of the box to hit a weak effort straight at Zengin.

Spurs are starting to find their rhythm again after a sluggish restart. They look the sharper of the two sides in possession as Dembele wins a free kick in a good position.

CHANCE! Spurs should be ahead. Paulinho's free kick is headed back into the danger zone by Kaboul, but Soldado miscues the finish to allow Zengin to make an easy save.

Neither team have been able to stay on top for an extended spell, with the passing in attacking areas bringing a number of promising moves to an end. Spurs need to do a better job of getting Townsend and Chadli involved.

Excellent from Kaboul, who is brave enough to come out to the wing and put the pressure on Sosa after Besiktas had threatened on the counter attack. Kaboul wins the ball back and helps his side retain possession.

YELLOW CARD! Soldado does very well to bring down a high ball, but he's pulled back by Gulum before he can make any progress. The defender picks up the first booking of the night.

Dembele evades a couple of Besiktas players with a clever turn before picking out Soldado, whose effort from the right side of the box is deflected behind for a corner. Besiktas manage to clear the set piece at the second attempt, but Spurs keep the pressure on.

Stambouli is doing some good work for Spurs in the first half. Dembele and Paulinho are being allowed to get forward on a regular basis, and Stambouli is reacting well to pick up the loose balls from a deeper position. Spurs are left frustrated again when Dembele strays too early to latch onto a Soldado pass.

It may suit Besiktas to slow down the game, but they're taking every set piece very quickly against a Spurs side that appears to be quicker to every 50/50 tonight. The first goal will be vital tonight.

CHANCE! First big opportunity of the evening for the hosts. Sahan somehow manages to run into the box without being challenged. His first shot is blocked by Chiriches, but his second is just a yard away from finding the top corner.

Soldado pays the price for being unselfish. Townsend plays a lovely reverse pass into the feet of the Spaniard, who decides against shooting from a tight angle and lofts a ball towards Paulinho. Besiktas clear the danger to force the visitors back.

Spurs just need to find a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. Dembele continues his impressive night by taking on a couple of Besiktas defenders, but his strike from 25 yards only rolls into the hands of Zengin.

Pochettino's side are dominating possession now, and Besiktas are surprisingly happy to drop deeper to defend. That tactic will suit Spurs as they look for the point they need to win Group C.

Rose feels that he kept the ball in on the byline, but the assistant referee decides to award a corner to the hosts. It's a poor delivery from Sosa and Spurs are allowed to get back onto the front foot.

Frei is attempting to steal the show with a couple of clever pieces of skill on the right wing, but the end product is poor as Kaboul clears a cross at the front post. Much better from Besiktas, who are moving the ball around a bit quicker now.

Soldado is furious with Chadli when the Belgian attempts a trick rather than chipping the ball over the Besiktas defence. Spurs have created the better chances, but they can improve a lot in attack.

Good work from Stambouli in midfield to find space in a congested area, but his hopeful ball to Soldado is off target as Besiktas survive at the end of the first half.

Half time arrives a little later than expected following that 16-minute delay due to a problem with the floodlights. Spurs have been the better of the two sides, with Soldado missing a good chance to give the hosts the lead, but neither team have been at their best in the final third of the pitch. Group C remains in the balance. Spurs will win the group if it remains goalless.

It's not been a classic in Turkey, but the match is delicately poised. Besiktas have been surprising in their approach, with Bilic's side sitting deeper for long spells in an attempt to frustrate the visitors. The time will come when the hosts must push more players forward if they are to claim top spot.

BENCH WATCH: The injury crisis at Besiktas means Bilic was only able to name six players on the bench tonight, with four of the substitutes being graduates from the academy, so there's not a lot of experience to come. Aaron Lennon and Erik Lamela are two of the attacking options on Tottenham's bench.

Here's Zengin's save from @R9Soldado's earlier effort. #COYS pic.twitter.com/sl0FeoG1vr

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2014

Both sides are back out on the pitch. Besiktas have 45 minutes to stop Spurs from securing top spot in Group C. The Londoners will get the game back underway.

SUBSTITUTION: Bilic was busy at the break. Gulum is off, and Atinc Nukan has come off the bench to replace him in the centre of defence.

Decent start to the second half from Spurs as Walker and Townsend combine to find Soldado, who is unable to find the space he needs inside the box. At the other Kurtulus hits a speculative effort just over from 25 yards.

Tottenham's midfield three are seeing plenty of the ball, but they're being prevented from getting further up the pitch by Besiktas, who have applied more pressure on the ball since the break.

Spurs have won a lot of corners and free kicks tonight, but the deliveries have been poor far too often. Paulinho wastes another set piece from the left as Besiktas survive another spell of pressure.

Spurs win another free kick when Sosa brings down Dembele, but they fail to take advantage. It's an excellent delivery from Townsend on this occasion. However, no Spurs player takes a risk inside the six-yard box.

It's the visitors who are still in charge, but a lack of quality in and around the box is letting them down at the moment. If Spurs can get the first goal, they'll be confident of securing the result they need to finish top of Group C. Pochettino may consider freshening up his attack soon.

OFF THE BAR! Besiktas are inches away from taking the lead in spectacular fashion! Kaboul takes one too many touches and his poor decision gifts the ball to Tosun, who strikes the crossbar with a stunning half volley from 25 yards.

Besiktas are ahead thanks to Tosun, who taps in from close range after Sahan had miscued his effort at the back post. Spurs just never recovered after Tosun struck the crossbar with that strike a few moments ago. Can the visitors respond?

Spurs have been comfortable all evening, but the defence look nervy now as Besiktas continue to grow in confidence in possession. Remember, if Besiktas hold on for the win they will finish top of Group C.

CHANCE! Spurs almost hit back when Chadli connects with a long ball forward to set up Soldado, whose powerful strike is deflected behind for a corner.

CHANCE! Soldado comes close again when Paulinho's corner is flicked on at the near post, but the Spaniard effort on the turn in the six-yard box is once again charged down. Rose fires straight at Zengin moments later from 25 yards.

Spurs are forcing the hosts back again, but they're just falling short at the final hurdle. Soldado flicks on Walker's free kick, with neither Chadli or Kaboul managing to add the finishing touch.

CHANCE! Besiktas miss a great chance to score the goal which could have secured the win. Tolsun does well to release the former Fulham winger with a clever pass, but Frei loses his composure by slicing into the side netting from a great position.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Pochettino has seen enough. Soldado and Paulinho make way for Lennon and Lamela. It looks like Chadli will be asked to lead the line for the visitors.

Chadli gets his first chance to impress as a striker when he latches onto Lennon's flick, but the Belgian is a yard offside in the box. Spurs have less than 20 minutes to find a goal to win the group.

Besiktas are dropping deeper to defend once again with the knowledge that they have the pace to hit Spurs on the break. Sosa ignores his options in the latter stages of a counter attack, and he frustrates his teammates by blazing a shot over the crossbar after finding space in the box.

SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino makes another change as Capoue comes on to replace Walker. It looks like Stambouli will be asked to move to right back for the closing stages.

Chiriches makes a vital block to keep out Tore's shot after the Besikats midfielder had evaded a couple of tackles with some clever footwork. Unfortunately for Spurs, it's the hosts who are now on the front foot.

It's just not clicking for Spurs. Dembele drives the team forward with another run through midfield, but two crosses from Townsend are cleared by the home defence. An extended spell of pressure comes to a disappointing end in the final third of the pitch.

Besiktas are defending brilliantly. Lamela doesn't fancy a tackle on the edge of the box as Nukan dives in to clean up the mess for the hosts. Uysal takes a knock, and he is forced to limp off the pitch for treatment.

SUBSTITUTION: Besiktas make another change as Ismail Koybasi comes off the bench to replace Tore, who has put in an excellent shift at both ends of the pitch tonight.

Another corner ends with Vorm easily collecting a header from Nukan. Spurs are running out of time, and it's difficult to see them finding a way through. Pochettino's side have dominated possession, but chances have been rare in the second half.

It's another disappointing set piece for Spurs. Townsend sends the ball towards the back post, but Kaboul decides against even making a run after coming up for the free kick.

Vorm is forced off his line to collect after Sahan's miscued volley at the back post almost plays in Tosun in the six-yard box. Besiktas are looking confident as they attempt to protect the lead.

The fourth official confirms that there will be three minutes added on.

PLAY STOPPED: Incredible. There's just two minutes remaining, but the lights have gone of once again. I'm not sure if the referee can blow the final whistle because of how delicately poised Group C is even at this stage.

It's only the floodlights that aren't working, so it isn't a problem with all of the electrics. No one looks too sure what to do at the moment.

Excuse the poor joke, but we're in the dark at the moment. It's unclear how long the UEFA officials will wait until deciding the lights will not come on. Spurs will be furious if this game is abandoned with the score at 1-0. As we've seen, anything can happen in the final two minutes of stoppage time.

Both teams have returned to the dressing rooms. The first delay lasted around 16 minutes, so let's hope the players aren't off the pitch for too much longer.

There has been an announcement in the stadium that the lights will be back on in eight minutes.

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2014

I'd love to explain to you how the lights work at Istanbul's Olympic Stadium, but I can't work out why the lights will be working again in around seven minutes. Fortunately, the players will be back soon.

Restart! Vorm has the ball in his hands. Spurs have around two minutes to snatch top spot from Besiktas.

SUBSTITUTION: No luck for Spurs yet as Besiktas bring on Yaman Furkan to replace Frei in the final minute of stoppage time.

It's all over at the Olympic Stadium. Tosun's goal is enough for Besiktas as the hosts snatch top spot in Group C with a victory over Spurs, who could face a trickier opponent if luck is not on their side when the draw for the next round is made.

Well, we finally got to the final whistle. Thanks for following our live coverage. You can now read Sports Mole's report of the game. Goodnight everyone.