Erik ten Hag expects a provoked Besiktas in Wednesday evening’s Champions League match. The Ajax trainer does not agree with the idea that Besiktas ‘doesn’t play for anything anymore’, now that the club from Istanbul has only a minimal chance of wintering in Europe. According to Ten Hag, Besiktas will be motivated to the bone to achieve a good result for their own audience.
“In the Netherlands, the media think that Besiktas is no longer playing for anything. But then they don’t know the culture here,” Ten Hag made clear at the press conference. “They completely ignore that. This is an honorable culture, a proud culture, where this competition is seen as an opportunity to refuel confidence and get back into the right rhythm. They will be loaded to the top of their toes to beat Ajax tomorrow. If we start thinking like the media, then tomorrow we will have a very tough and difficult evening.”
Besiktas is still scoreless after four games. To finish third and advance in the Europa League, the club must beat Ajax and Borussia Dortmund must lose to Sporting Portugal on Wednesday night. On the final day, Besiktas will then have to win 1-2 or a bigger result on a visit to Borussia Dortmund. “Besiktas is a team that is fighting for its last chance,” Ten Hag realizes. “You also know the culture of this country: they are crazy about football and the team is under pressure if they don’t get points.”
“It will be a difficult game for us. We will have to be top notch to get a result here,” emphasizes Ten Hag. Attacker Steven Berghuis, also present at the press conference, is in any case not going to be intimidated by the supporters at Vodafone Park. “When the whistle blows, you don’t worry about it that much. We have to be imperturbable and not react at all. We have to focus on what we have to do as a team.”
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