Ruslan Malinovskyi backs Trabzonspor to overturn Ferencvarosi defeat

Ruslan Malinovskyi says Trabzonspor can recover from their 1-0 home defeat by Ferencvarosi and reach the next stage of the Europa League.

Trabzonspor were beaten by the Hungarian side in the first leg of their qualifying tie after Ferencvarosi took advantage of a single opportunity to score. The result leaves Trabzonspor needing to win the return match in Hungary next Thursday if they are to progress.

Malinovskyi defended his team’s performance and said the players remained confident despite failing to find the net at home.

“This was our first match at home and we wanted to win, but the opponent took advantage of one chance and scored a goal,” he told Turkish website Sporx.

The Trabzonspor player said Ferencvarosi had created very little during the match, while his own side had opportunities after the interval.

“We did not give the opponent many chances, but they took advantage of their only opportunity,” he said. “We started the second half well and had good chances, but we were unable to find the back of the net.”

Malinovskyi also pointed to the lack of competitive match experience among some of Trabzonspor’s players, with several completing a full 90 minutes for the first time.

“We are a very good team,” he said. “Some players are playing 90 minutes for the first time. Whether we play at home or away, we play to win. The atmosphere was great and our fans were fantastic.”

Despite the first-leg setback, Malinovskyi believes the tie is still firmly within Trabzonspor’s reach. He described the opening match as only the first half of the contest and urged his team to focus on producing a winning performance in Hungary.

“There are another 90 minutes ahead of us,” he said. “This match is the first half of the tie. We have another 90 minutes and we can win it. We can do it.”

Trabzonspor will also have to manage a busy schedule before the second leg. The Turkish side are due to face Istanbul Basaksehir in the second week of the Turkish league on Sunday, 23 August.

“We have another match in three days and we want to win that one as well,” Malinovskyi added.

Muhammad Salah made his first start in Trabzonspor’s starting line-up and remained on the pitch until the final whistle.

The return meeting between Trabzonspor and Ferencvarosi will take place in Hungary next Thursday, with Trabzonspor seeking to overturn the narrow deficit and continue their Europa League campaign.