Serkan Özbalta sets top-12 target after 4-0 Galatasaray defeat
Erzurumspor FK manager Serkan Özbalta stated that he trusts his team despite the defeat against Galatasaray and announced his goal for the end of the season.
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In the 2nd week of the Trendyol Super League, Erzurumspor FK was defeated 4-0 at home by Galatasaray. Speaking at the press conference held after the match, Erzurumspor FK manager Serkan Özbalta said that he trusts his team despite the lopsided score.
Özbalta stated that Erzurumspor FK will be in the region they targeted in the league by the end of the season, saying, "I believe that when the season ends, this team will find its place between the top 10 and 12."
Expressing that they did not start the match poorly, Özbalta said, "It was a back-and-forth game. We conceded a goal in the 10th minute and then went through a 1-2 minute recovery period." Emphasizing that Galatasaray is a team that has dominated the league in recent years and has clear quality, Özbalta stated that they had prepared during the week for the opponent's mobility on the field.
Özbalta stated that they conceded goals in succession at unexpected moments, and that if they could have reduced the deficit to one after the second goal, the atmosphere of the match could have changed. Drawing attention to the fan support, the experienced manager noted that returning to the Super League after a 6-year hiatus has created a significant longing in the city and that the stands reflected this emotion onto the field.
Stating that a comeback became difficult after the score reached 3-0, Özbalta said that despite this, his players did not give up the fight. "After the 4-0 score that came in the last minute, there are not many words left to say," said Özbalta, adding that there are players who have recently joined the team and need to become physically ready.
Arguing that when looking at the statistics, there was a balanced picture in some parts of the game, Özbalta said that Erzurumspor took 10 shots while Galatasaray took 8. Stating that it is difficult to get a result against Galatasaray by only defending, Özbalta expressed that they preferred to play with the ball.
Apologizing to the fans for the defeat, Özbalta reminded that a significant portion of the squad consists of players who came from the TFF 1st League and are experiencing the Super League for the first time. Saying that the adaptation process may take time, Özbalta stated that they want to recover with the upcoming Gençlerbirliği match.