I think we played well, but we fell short in the area where we always struggle, finishing. Orkun scored another excellent goal outside the box. If Olaitan had scored that goal, the score would've been much more comfortable and we might have scored more goals. But with the score stuck at 1-0, Midtjylland's defense became much more resilient. They played with 10 men for a long time and defended well.
This is a good result, but it's definitely not enough. The second leg will be tough. I liked Italiano's style of play. He uses his full backs effectively. Murillo made several runs into the penalty area looking for a goal. I think Rıdvan was underwhelming, Ouattara will likely take his spot soon. Nübel played well. Beşiktaş look promising this season.
Beşiktaş has signaled that it’s going to have a great season. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Beşiktaş play so cohesively in its first official match. They’ll only get better with their new signings. Most importantly, Vincenzo Italiano is a head coach who perfectly aligns with Beşiktaş’s philosophy. As for the match itself, Beşiktaş played nearly flawlessly tactically, but their quality wasn’t quite enough to score the second and third goals. Of course, they’re still very early in the season, but I really liked their tactics. I hope they advance through the qualifiers. Beşiktaş comfortably navigated a tough match with a high risk of defeat, aided by the red card. If they’d scored at least one more goal, the second leg would have been much easier.