Arda Turan says 'The tie isn't over' after dominant win over Beşiktaş!
After leading Shakhtar Donetsk to a 4-2 away victory against Beşiktaş in the UEFA Europa League, manager Arda Turan warned his young team not to get complacent, stating "the tie isn't over." While pleased with their offensive execution and possession-based philosophy, Turan emphasized the need to eliminate "simple goals" and acknowledged Beşiktaş's strength ahead of the crucial second leg.
Following his team's commanding 4-2 away victory over Beşiktaş in the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round, Shakhtar Donetsk manager Arda Turan addressed the press, cautioning his players about complacency despite their significant advantage.
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"It's not easy to play here," Turan stated, emphasizing the challenging atmosphere at Tüpraş Stadium. "We started the match balanced and with possession. I'm happy that we executed our game plan well. We need to take the positives and focus on the negatives." He then highlighted areas for improvement: "We conceded such simple goals. You need to play these moments more carefully. If you dominate a match this much, you should get more significant scores. My players are young... when I was 19, I got a red card at Bordeaux and ruined the match. I won't take away their right to make mistakes."
Turan stressed the importance of defensive solidity for a team aspiring to higher levels. "If we want to go to a higher level, we won't concede such simple goals. The tie isn't over yet; Beşiktaş is a big team and a big club. We need to fight better than we did here in the second match."
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When questioned about his two substitutions despite holding a comfortable lead, and his team's emphasis on possession, Turan invoked a lesson learned from a former mentor: "There was something I learned from Fatih Hoca [Terim], 'don't be afraid to do what you see.' I am not afraid to do what I see. The best defense is to have possession. If you defend, you have a chance to win the game. All our passes are planned; I get uncomfortable with unplanned passes."
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Elaborating on his tactical approach, Turan explained, "We tried to put more pressure on [Beşiktaş goalkeeper] Mert. Mert is very good at long balls. We didn't change our pressing plans. If you have players like Orkun [Kökçü] and Gedson [Fernandes], they will solve this. Demir Ege [Tıknaz] is also a player we like. Our plan was high-pressing. We knew we would win the ball. We have dynamic full-backs. They are young; we are trying to remind them of their potential. I trusted my players."
Arda Turan also took a moment to express his gratitude to the host club, Beşiktaş. "Beşiktaş is a team that scores a lot of goals from transitions. I want to tell my team that the job is not 100% finished and that we will go into the return leg as if it's 0-0. I thank Serdal Adalı and the Beşiktaş community. They showed incredible hospitality. I sincerely wish them success, as long as they are not playing against us."
