Thomas Reis: We earned a victory we deserved

Trabzonspor defeated Hearts 2-0 in the third round of the UEFA Conference League league phase. The Claret-and-blues side are now 2 wins from 2 in Europe. Speaking after the match, head coach Thomas Reis thanked his team.

Reis said they struggled to get into the game in the first 15-20 minutes but then controlled play. Noting that the midfield was completely new, Reis recalled that Tim started in the starting eleven for the first time in weeks. He said the team took the lead from a penalty, scored one more goal in the second half, and earned a victory they deserved.

Referring to last season's European adventure with Samsunspor, Reis explained that simple points lost forced them into a play-off. Stressing that feet must stay on the ground, the coach said their focus is on the league match to be played on Monday. He said they have not yet spoken with the doctor about Noah Saviolo's condition and that he hopes it is not a serious injury.

Reis did not want to comment in detail on the red card Cabral received, saying more care is needed in such situations. He explained that the decision not to include Savic in the squad was his own, as they wanted to protect the player against the risk of injury. He said it may be too early for Paul Onuachu for the Rizespor match, and that they expect Mustafa to be in the squad for that game.