Fenerbahçe, playing away at Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League, left the pitch with a heavy 6-0 defeat. One of the most discussed names of the night for the yellow-navies was national footballer İsmail Yüksek.
Starting in the first 11 after N’Golo Kante was not risked due to pain, İsmail Yüksek stood out during moments when the defensive balance was disrupted due to critical choices he made throughout the match. It was noted that the national player made errors in two of the goals and also caused a penalty.
İsmail Yüksek touched the ball 64 times in the match and completed 40 accurate passes. However, these statistics remained in the shadow of the lopsided defeat and the critical errors made during the game.
Fenerbahçe head coach İsmail Kartal made a substitution in the 69th minute, taking İsmail Yüksek off. Young footballer Bartuğ Elmaz entered the game.
"KANTE SAID HE COULD NOT PLAY"
Head coach İsmail Kartal made statements after the match.
Responding to criticisms regarding why he did not intervene in the team during halftime by citing N'Golo Kante's physical condition, İsmail Kartal explained that they postponed the moves they had planned because the player was not ready, saying, "We were going to make 1-2 changes. We talked to Kante. He said he could not play. We were going to do it, but the team gave a good reaction until the 62nd minute. Everything was going well. When a penalty occurred after a mistake, the game fell apart."
"HE SAID IT WOULD BE A RISK IF I PLAY"
Stating that they intended to stabilize the passing traffic in the midfield with the French star's experience, the experienced coach explained, "We wanted to put Kante in the center and make a change on the wing to hold that area with a more experienced player who makes fewer passing errors, but he said he was not one hundred percent ready and that 'It would be a risk if I play.' For that position, there was a Bartuğ, a Levent who could play 6-8. Then, when the mistake happened, we were forced to make a change."
News Source: 12punto
