Fonseca: Fenerbahçe still favorite after draw

Olympique Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca believes Fenerbahçe still holds the advantage in their Europa League clash despite his team's resilient 1-1 draw. Fonseca lauded his players for a "very, very positive" and "tactically perfect" performance in a "very difficult atmosphere."

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Fenerbahçe is still the favorite.

"Fenerbahçe is still the favorite," Fonseca stated, acknowledging the Turkish club's "great players" and "wonderful team." He noted that while his team "dominated the game" and played "almost perfectly in defense," the ideal outcome would have been a win. He singled out Lois Openda for his hard work and value to the team, and also commended Morton and Tessman for executing the game plan effectively.

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It was quite a difficult atmosphere. Lyon played a very brave game. I think we played a very, very positive match. We played a tactically perfect match.

Fonseca acknowledged the limited clear-cut chances in the match, attributing it to the strength of both sides. "There weren't many chances in the match," he said, explaining that the focus was on controlling the midfield. He mentioned three significant shots, including one that hit the post, but emphasized that "the number of accurate shots was not high because both teams are very strong."

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Fenerbahçe is a big club with big players. Fenerbahçe is truly a wonderful team made up of wonderful players. We dominated the game. We played almost perfectly in defense.

Looking ahead to the second leg, Fonseca stressed the importance of fan support to replicate the intense atmosphere of Fenerbahçe's home ground. "We need our fans. We must fight until the last minute for the tie," he urged. He described the match as "extremely historic for our club" and expressed confidence in his team's determination.

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The ideal score would have been a win, but that was not possible. It is important to understand this; we were facing a team that was clearly the favorite. Fenerbahçe is still the favorite.