Galatasaray Coach Reacts After Victor Osimhen’s Team Lost to Akor Adams’ Venezia
- Venezia beat Galatasaray 3 goals in the last 20 minutes of their pre-season clash in Turkey's second consecutive defeat
- Victor Osimhen started and played 79 minutes as Galatasaray suffered back-to-back losses against Italian opposition
- Coach Okan Buruk admitted the team's performance fell below expectations but said preparations are still ongoing
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has broken his silence following his side's defeat to Venezia, the second time in a row the Turkish champions have fallen to a Serie A club in pre-season.
Venezia turned the game around with three goals in the final 20 minutes to seal a comfortable win. A week earlier, AC Monza had beaten Galatasaray 2-0, leaving the club with two consecutive losses against Italian opposition as their new season preparations continue.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by Galatasaray, Victor Osimhen was in the starting lineup and remained on the pitch for 79 minutes during the Venezia game. Notably, his Nigeria national team strike partner, Akor Adams, who had recently moved to the club, did not take part in the match.
Buruk admits his team fell short
Speaking to GS TV after the defeat, Buruk was candid about where his side currently stands.
“In terms of gameplay, of course, we want to win every match. We want to win the friendly matches as well. However, in the last two matches, we didn't get what we wanted, both in terms of performance and results. We are aware of that,” he said.
The coach added that the squad is not yet at the level he expects, but insisted that these fixtures are serving a purpose in the build-up to the competitive season.
“We didn't get what we wanted. Our overall performance was below expectations. As I said, we're not fully ready as a team yet. We're trying to get ready and bring all our players to the same level. We have a long time ahead of us to prepare for the league,” Buruk added.
Galatasaray have one pre-season fixture remaining, against Spanish club Villarreal, before their Super League campaign gets underway. Their opening league match is against newly promoted Corum.
Buruk's comments suggest the club is prioritising fitness and squad cohesion over results at this stage, though the back-to-back losses will add some pressure heading into the final preparatory match.
Buruk reacts to Monza loss
Legit.ng previously reported that Okan Buruk reacted after Galatasaray lost to AC Monza in their first pre-season match in Austria.
The manager admitted that he would love to win every game, but he would take whatever comes in those matches meant for preparation before the season.
Source: Legit.ng
