The Adriatic offered Goeben a strategically awkward refuge. Austro-Hungarian bases could supply and maintain her, adding weight to the regional balance and unsettling Italian calculations. Her addition would make the regional pre-dreadnought and dreadnought count appear much closer, even though she was not an equal substitute for an Italian dreadnought. The narrow Otranto exit and Allied control options would keep the ship more contained than if she reached Constantinople. This route strengthened Austria-Hungary locally while leaving France and Italy to bear much of the containment burden, which might simplify Britain's wider strategy.
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The third route: Goeben in Austria-Hungary
If Goeben entered the Adriatic instead, Austro-Hungarian bases could sustain her while turning the ship into an Italian and Allied planning problem rather than an Ottoman catalyst.