Sports Writers Review Midtjylland-Beşiktaş Match: 'Italiano Created a Team That Fights Like Himself'

Beşiktaş secured their progression in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, overcoming Danish side Midtjylland with a 2-0 victory in the second leg of their second-round tie. This win advances the Turkish club, building on their performance in the initial match.

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Italiano's team might not be able to execute the desired strong press yet, but we clearly saw that efforts have been made to close down the opponent's passing angles and channels when the ball is with the opponent. Also, the sudden shock presses in the second zone and the balls won will be very deadly for the opponents. Beşiktaş successfully applied these two applications yesterday when the ball was with the opponent. One of the players I liked the most yesterday was goalkeeper Nübel. Like a deep-lying libero with his accurate exits on balls behind the defense, and Beşiktaş has a reliable goalkeeper after many years.

Sports journalists analyzing the game highlighted several key aspects of Beşiktaş's performance. Güntekin Onay pointed to the team's defensive organization, noting that while the pressing might not yet be at its peak, the players effectively closed down passing lanes and executed sudden counter-presses. Onay particularly lauded goalkeeper Nübel, describing him as a "reliable goalkeeper after many years" who acts like a "sweeper-libero" with his confident command of the area and accurate rushes on through balls.

Bilal Meşe also expressed admiration for Nübel's goalkeeping, emphasizing his composure, positioning, and excellent handling of high balls. Meşe noted the impact of coach Vincenzo Italiano's tactical substitutions, such as bringing on Rashica, who immediately scored, changing the game's dynamic. He also singled out Orkun Kökçü as a "special player" carrying a significant burden for the team.

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What a strange game football is, isn't it? As long as the Italian coach was on the field, he brought Rashica onto the field instead of Cerny, who was not very effective on the wing. The experienced player opened the scoring with his first touch and averted a potential danger. Now, who does this goal belong to? The Italian coach, or Rashica? We say to ourselves, 'Well done, coach, one move, one goal. That's what a move is,' right? I frankly liked goalkeeper Nübel a lot, he gives great confidence between the posts, he is very calm and positions himself well, his positioning on crosses is great. Orkun Kökçü is truly a special player, he carries almost all the burden of the Eagles on his shoulders, may he not be jinxed.

Cem Dizdar observed that in the first half, Beşiktaş displayed the balanced play desired by coach Italiano, effectively managing both attack and defense. Despite Midtjylland appearing to generate more statistics, Beşiktaş maintained composure in both their defensive duties and attacking threats. The game shifted significantly after Midtjylland's Martin Erlic received a second yellow card in the 53rd minute, creating an opportunity for Beşiktaş. Ultimately, Beşiktaş's ability to match the opponent's running intensity with their own proved decisive.

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When the first half was completed, the Beşiktaş that Vincenzo Italiano desired was on the field; balanced! Beşiktaş, balancing offense and defense, appeared to have given the opponent more statistics, but the team maintained its composure overall when defending the penalty area and in threatening attacking attempts. And finally, when Martin Erlic was sent off with a second yellow card in the 53rd minute, the possibility of an outnumbered opponent again arose for Beşiktaş. But what determined the outcome of the match was Beşiktaş winning by running against the running home team. By the way, the fact that the number of 'crosses' was limited to '5' throughout the match should also be noted as an important positive.

Turgay Demir commented on the team's fighting spirit and determination, stating that "no one can fault the Eagles' fighting power and will to win," even if the squad's quality is debatable. He credited Italiano with forging a team that "fights like his own character," citing examples of forwards tracking back to dispossess opponents and wingers relentlessly chasing down rivals. This relentless effort and tactical discipline were crucial for advancing in the competition.

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The squad quality can be debated, but no one can fault the Eagles' fighting power and will to win. Italiano has created a team that fights like his own character. You see the player at the very front coming to clear the ball from defense, and you see Cerny or İlhan Fakılı chasing their opponent all the way to their home. Tu