A clean sheet for Paul Robinson (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

David O'Leary's side have gone so far, so quickly on the back of youthful endeavour, talent and unstinting effort. Yet, last night, perhaps cowed by the memories of their last visit to this city, Leeds were as subdued as they have been in a long time.

O'Leary will know this Besiktas team are distinctly average, even in their own Inonu Stadium and in front of volatile, utterly committed fans.

They might be physically intimidating and prone to bouts of theatricality, but they are not a good football side in any sense, even if they did beat Barcelona here 3-0.

Defensively, they were as much of a shambles as in their 6-0 defeat at Elland Road three weeks ago. In midfield, they offered combativeness and work-rate but little vision or imagination, and up front Ahmet Dursun's litheness and intelligence were offset by his fondness for falling to the floor.

It made for a team whom Leeds at their attacking best could have swept aside. Certainly, even as patched-up as they are at the moment, the Yorkshire side had more than enough ability in their ranks to take advantage.

But last night they could not quite grasp the initiative as they have in the past, lacking the extra ingredient the injured Harry Kewell or the suspended Alan Smith bring to the mix.

Perhaps if Eirik Bakke had accepted the gift chance he was presented inside the first five minutes, it would have been a different story.

Lee Bowyer's free-kick was met by Danny Mills and with the Besiktas defence all over the place, Bakke had time to pick his spot. But as the Norwegian scuffed his close-range effort, when a decent contact would surely have brought a goal, the only real chance Leeds were to create all night went begging.

From then on, it was attritional stuff and far from enjoyable. Leeds, refusing to be deflected from their intention of keeping things tight, achieved that but at the cost of never demonstrating the gambling instincts which might have brought the victory which would have given them command of Group H.

Credit where it is due. Jon Woodgate, proving his footballing maturity once again, and Mills were solidity personified in front of rookie goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who showed commendable calmness on his European debut.

In the middle, Bowyer was his customary feisty self, not shirking the battles that were there in abundance, while Aussie Jake Burns gave a passable imitation of his namesake Kenny, rattling bones with each jarring tackle.

Certainly there could be no faulting Leeds' collective courage as they refused to be shaken by the aggression of the Turkish team, who demonstrated an ability to stray beyond the bounds of the acceptable and into the realms of brutality.

But there was no real spark, no inspiration, especially after Michael Bridges' return to the starting line-up in the absence of Smith was cut short with what appeared a serious ankle injury as he fell when seemingly caught by Tayfur Havutcu's elbow.

While Darren Huckerby came on to join Mark Viduka, whose touch was not as secure as it needed to be, Leeds were never able to get enough numbers forward.

It made for a bitty, desperate game. Leeds, defending with resilience and courage, did more than enough, yet this was two points dropped more than one gained.

Rarely were they threatened, funnelling back in numbers to prevent Nevio Scala's side creating genuine opportunities. It enabled Robinson, in for the injured Nigel Martyn, to keep his composure, his handling and decision-making consistent.

Importantly, Leeds seldom allowed themselves to be wound up by the Turkish tactics, although Burns and Mills were distracted late on.

That discipline helped limit the Turks to long-range efforts, most of which sailed high or wide, so when Nihat Kahveci - as much of a diver as Ahmet Dursun - and Yasin Sulun did have half-openings in the latter stages, they lacked belief.

The 138 Leeds fans who had made the journey - whisked straight from the airport to a boat trip before docking 20 minutes before kick-off - were happy enough at the end.

Yet, O'Leary, in his private moments, will not be happy. A point is better than nothing and Leeds still stand on top of their group. But they must now take something from the visit of Barcelona on Tuesday. If not, they may regret their failure to win in Istanbul.

Besiktas (3-5-2): Shorunmu; Ali Eren (Murat 62min), Umit, Tayfur; Khlestov, Karhan, Mehmet (Ibrahim 80min), Yasin, Munch; Nihat, Ahmet Dursun (Ayhan 80min).

Leeds United (4-4-2): Robinson; Kelly, Mills, Woodgate, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Burns, Matteo, Bridges (Huckerby 26min, McPhail 85min), Viduka.

Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland)