Sopic remains hopeful despite 3-0 deficit ahead of Beşiktaş match

Kauno Žalgiris head coach Sopic said at a press conference at Dariaus ir Girėno Stadium, where the match will be played, that his team would fight for a positive result despite trailing Beşiktaş 3-0. Sopic said his team had been affected by the atmosphere in Istanbul and that he was confident his players would give their best in the difficult environment.

Scraper SystemAugust 26, 2026, 10:10 PM

Sopic remains hopeful despite 3-0 deficit ahead of Beşiktaş match

Kauno Žalgiris head coach Sopic spoke at a press conference held at Dariaus ir Girėno Stadium ahead of his team's match against Beşiktaş.

Recalling that they trailed 3-0 after the first leg in Istanbul, Sopic said the match would not be easy. He said they needed to be realistic but would nevertheless do everything possible to secure a positive result.

Sopic said factors such as luck, an opponent's mistake or a card could change the course of a football match, adding that they did not believe they could easily overcome Beşiktaş. He said Beşiktaş had the quality advantage but was 100 percent confident that his players would fight as they had in Istanbul.

Assessing the atmosphere in Istanbul

Sopic said most of his players had never played in an atmosphere similar to the one in Istanbul. He explained that 95 percent of his squad usually played in front of a few thousand people, whereas in Istanbul they faced an environment with 40,000 supporters.

Sopic said he was pleased that his players had experienced competing in such an atmosphere, adding that it was not an easy experience. He also said he had experienced a similar atmosphere against Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup during his time at Borussia Dortmund.