"Galatasaray" head coach Okan Buruk shared his thoughts ahead of the Champions League round of 16 match against "Liverpool". He emphasized that fan support in Tuesday's game will provide great strength to the team. The Turkish club defeated the English giants 1-0 in Istanbul during the group stage and aims to repeat that success. According to goal.com news reports.
According to the coach, the first leg is of crucial importance. "There are 16 strong teams with the same goal as us. Everyone has a chance to advance to the next round. Our main objective is to achieve superiority against "Liverpool" in our home match," said Buruk.
Despite the previous victory, the specialist is well aware of how dangerous the opponent is. He reminded that "Liverpool" has secured determined victories by scoring goals in the final minutes of many matches this season. Therefore, the team is preparing seriously not only tactically but also mentally.
One of the main concerns for Okan Buruk is the opponent's dangerous play in set-pieces. He specifically highlighted Virgil van Dijk and other tall players' dominance in aerial duels. "They are very strong on set-pieces. We must be extremely cautious. However, the opponent also concedes many goals, and we need to take advantage of this," added the coach.
The victory won in September thanks to Viktor Osimhen's penalty goal is still fresh in fans' minds. However, Buruk expects Arne Slot's pupils to come out with a completely different passion this time. Mistakes cannot be made in the knockout stage, so "Galatasaray" must secure a positive result at home before the away match at "Anfield".
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