Italiano: "We Could Have Scored More Goals"
Beşiktaş head coach Vincenzo Italiano openly acknowledged that his team needs to improve their finishing after the victory against Midtjylland.
"We Had a Positive Night"
Beşiktaş head coach Vincenzo Italiano spoke after their 1-0 victory over Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round. He first highlighted the atmosphere at Dolmabahçe, saying, "Playing in this stadium pushes the players, it gives an incredible feeling. I told the players, 'I wish I could play too.'"
In his assessment of the match, Italiano noted that they pressured their opponent in the first half, and despite Midtjylland playing more defensively in the second half, they created numerous goal-scoring opportunities. He also mentioned that goalkeeper Alex made a crucial save during the opponent's only chance.
Openly Acknowledged the Finishing Problem
One of Italiano's most striking comments was his admission that the team underperformed against a rival that was reduced to 10 men: "We could have played better against such closed teams. We played against a team with 10 men, we could have done better." The coach emphasized the need to penetrate the penalty area more and create more chances.
This statement directly aligns with the post-match analysis by StatsLook — despite Beşiktaş's overwhelming statistics of 75% possession and 28 shots to 5, they only managed to score one goal, indicating a finishing problem confirmed by the data.
"We Are Not at Our Highest Level"
Italiano also admitted that the team is not yet at their peak form: "We could have scored more goals, created more chances, and taken more shots from outside the penalty area. The fact is, we are not at our highest level right now." However, the coach noted that the squad has only been working together for 20 days, which gives him hope that they will also show physical improvement.
Preparation for the Return Match Begins
Italiano stated that the team will start preparing for the return match and congratulated the players. While he described the night as "positive" in his overall assessment, he clearly pointed out that there are specific areas that need improvement.
