Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal made statements ahead of the derby, where they will be guests of Galatasaray in the 9th week of the Trendyol Süper Lig. Emphasizing that they are aware of the difficulty of the match, Kartal said he trusts his team's performance in recent weeks and their preparation process.
Stating that derbies are always competitive and difficult, Kartal said, "We are aware of this. We trust ourselves. Our team's performance in the league in recent matches is clear."
The yellow-navy manager stated that they will take the field to win, saying, "We came here to win. We trust ourselves. We worked very well to win. Everyone knows their role very clearly. We know the meaning of the derby, what it is, and what the crest represents."
Kartal also expressed that they built their game plan on victory. The experienced manager said, "We planned our entire game structure on victory. If that doesn't happen, at worst, we want to return to Kadıköy without losing. After all, this is a league match. We will do our best."
Speaking about his choice of center-back, Kartal said that Oppong is a young player and a quota player, and that they decided as a team for Archie to play due to the tempo and pressure of the derby. Kartal stated that they made this choice in terms of aerial balls and balls played behind the defense.
Evaluating his choices in the attacking line, Kartal touched upon the Lukaku-Vedat issue and said, "We had been preparing Lukaku for a long time. He is a big, high-profile, strong footballer. He is ready now. He is a strong player who knows these types of matches."
News Source: 12punto
