Warning to the team from İsmail Kartal before the Gornik Zabrze second leg: The first 20 minutes will be critical
As Fenerbahçe looks to protect its advantage away at Gornik Zabrze, it is reported that İsmail Kartal has asked his players to control the game early.
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Fenerbahçe will be the guest of Gornik Zabrze in Poland on Wednesday for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. Having won the first match in Istanbul 1-0 with a goal from Anderson Talisca, the yellow-navies aim to protect their advantage away from home and advance to the third round.
It has been learned that in meetings with his players while continuing preparations for the second leg, Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal specifically drew attention to the opening section of the match. It was reported that Kartal believes the first 20 minutes could be decisive for the course of the tie.
It was stated that the experienced manager emphasized that the image from the first match could be misleading for the return leg. It was expressed that Kartal told his players, “We will face a very different opponent this time. We will see a team that does not wait in its own half, but comes at us for a goal. The first 20 minutes will be very critical for us.”
In Fenerbahçe's away game plan, preventing the opponent from getting back into the match is as prominent as protecting the score. It was noted that Kartal warned the team about taking control of the game without conceding a goal and not allowing Gornik Zabrze to increase their hopes of advancing.
The yellow-navies are expected to play more in the second zone in the second leg, reduce risks when transitioning from defense, and increase pressure in the midfield. In line with this plan, it has been suggested that İsmail Yüksek is in contention to start in the first 11.