Serkan Özbalta: 1 or 3 points made no difference

Erzurumspor head coach Serkan Özbalta, at the press conference after the match, reminded reporters that his team had collected 7 points from their last three matches without conceding a goal. Özbalta said Gaziantep FK had not gotten the results they wanted in recent weeks, so he expected the opponent to react to end the bad run.

Özbalta said they wanted to keep up the good performance from their first season in this league, six years after their last appearance, and to maintain their consistency. Stressing that they did not want to return empty-handed, the head coach explained that they tried to be effective with counter-attacks and to find positions with balls played at the right time. He noted that both sides had clear chances in the first half and that the game was balanced.

Özbalta said the goal they scored in the second half relieved the team, but after the opponent reduced the deficit the pressure increased. He said Gaziantep tested them especially with attacks from the wings and crosses from their full-backs, and added that the third goal they scored near the end completely settled the team.

Özbalta reminded that in the three-point system the league is very long and the outcome is never certain. He said that teams who win are now studied more carefully by their opponents, and that their responsibilities had grown. He thanked the fans for supporting them away from home and said he wanted the stands to be full for next week's match against Çorum FK.