Vincenzo Italiano reflects on derby win: ‘There are things we need to fix’

Vincenzo Italiano celebrated Beşiktaş’s 2-1 away victory over Fenerbahçe, but said the derby win also exposed areas the team must correct.

“I am experiencing a happiness I cannot describe,” Italiano said after the match. He called victory in such a derby extremely important and said Beşiktaş delivered the performance of a big team. The visitors fell behind but responded with character, played football and earned three points.

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I am experiencing a happiness I cannot describe. Winning in such a derby is very important.

“We showed character,” Italiano said. “We were rewarded for that.” He added that Beşiktaş could have scored more goals and said the team’s aim had been to limit Fenerbahçe’s chances while creating more of its own. The coach was pleased with the result, but stressed that the performance was not perfect.

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We showed character. We were rewarded for that.

“There are things we need to fix,” he said, particularly pointing to problems that were noticeable in the first half. Italiano said Beşiktaş needed to keep working and improve further.

He also described the team as physically and mentally strong. In his view, mental strength shows in the players’ legs, and Beşiktaş had tried to keep possession and make good use of the balls it received. With European competition about to begin, he said the number of matches would rise and the team would need to develop in every area.

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There are things we need to fix. We are not perfect, and we need to work harder.