Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor players vie for the ball during a Süper Lig match in Trabzon on Oct 19.
Turkish football heavyweights Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor quickly shift their focus to European continental competition on Oct. 22, just three days after going head-to-head in a high-stakes domestic clash.
Trabzonspor enters Oct. 22’s fixtures riding momentum after defeating Beşiktaş 2-0 in Süper Lig play on Oct. 19.
Both clubs now host international opposition on home soil.
Beşiktaş aims to rebound as it welcomes Premier League side Crystal Palace to Istanbul for a Europa League league phase match. The Black Eagles are looking to replicate their success from their previous European outing, a 3-2 away victory over German side Hoffenheim.
Beşiktaş coach Vincenzo Italiano was satisfied with his players’ performances against Trabzonspor; however, he was furious with his side’s away results.
“I can say that losing on the road is starting to tire me out. This is unacceptable,” said Italiano, whose team has lost three of its four away matches so far in the Süper Lig.
“I am very pleased with today’s performance. We just need to be more careful. I told my players as well, I didn’t see a negative performance.”
The coach stressed that high-caliber clubs must demonstrate consistency across all environments, calling on his squad to address their away-day shortcomings without delay.
“Away from home, we need to fix certain things, make some adjustments, and find a solution immediately,” Italiano said. “If you are a big team, a big team must play away the same way it plays at home. It has to play the same way everywhere.”
Meanwhile, Trabzonspor hosts Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian in Trabzon in Conference League action. Trabzonspor hopes to maintain its strong international form following a 4-2 victory against Finnish club KuPS in its competition opener last week.
