Beşiktaş star Alexander Nübel: 'It was an important win'

Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel of Beşiktaş, who defeated the Czech team Hradec Kralove 1-0 on the road in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, said they had secured an important victory.

Speaking to the press after the match, Nübel said, “We played against a tough opponent. They pressed high up the field and created chances in the first half. They also had chances in the second half, especially after the red card. The opponent had a few chances, but we stuck together and defended as a team. We also converted the chance we had into a goal. It was an important victory,” he said.

Speaking about the interest shown in him by Beşiktaş fans, the German goalkeeper said, “It’s a great feeling. I’ve gotten along very well with everyone since the first day I arrived. I want to keep it that way. I want to help my team by playing as well as I can. "The game we play is a team sport; we play together. That’s why I love soccer. We celebrate together when we win and score goals. We’re sad together when we lose. The most important thing is playing as a team," he remarked.

The black-and-white goalkeeper also touched on the fact that he hasn’t conceded a goal in the three official matches he’s played, saying, “I’m very happy not to have conceded a goal. We defend as a unit. Today, Emirhan prevented two very clear scoring opportunities from turning into goals. I was just as happy with Emirhan’s saves as if we’d scored a goal ourselves. We’re happy we won—that’s what matters.”