Turks sound the alarm: "Beware of the Old Wolf! The tactical genius has a clear plan to put us under pressure"

The Istanbul press is wary of Mircea Lucescu's strategy for the Turkey vs. Romania playoff semi-final. "Lucescu knows us, and we know him. The experienced coach will focus on defense. His goal will be to keep the score at 0-0 and put pressure on us," wrote Bülent Timurlenk in the daily Sabah.

Although Vincenzo Montella's team is favored to qualify for the 2026 World Cup playoff final, Turkish journalists believe Mircea Lucescu will set a trap in the Istanbul match, using all his experience gained in high-stakes games, including his time at Galatasaray.

"Beware of the Old Wolf's game! Lucescu knows us, and we know him. The experienced Romanian coach will focus on defense in the playoff. If his team concedes first, he understands very well that they won't escape Besiktas' stadium unscathed.

His goal is to keep the score at 0-0 and put pressure on us," Bülent Timurlenk stated in an article published in the daily Sabah.

"The Turkish national team must be very careful with Lucescu! Romania's coach is a true tactical genius. Before every match, he provides players with an excellent analysis of their opponents, explaining the characteristics of each one. He always has a specific plan to win, adapted to the style of those he will face.

The Turkish journalist illustrates the "Tricolor" coach's skill with two episodes where he surprised higher-rated opponents during his tenure at Galatasaray in European competitions.

I will illustrate Lucescu's story with two examples: First. September 26, 2001. France. Galatasaray needed to defeat Nantes to continue in Europe, having drawn 0-0 at home in the first leg.

Lucescu made another interesting statement before the match, saying: "Today I will start with Sergen Yalçın on the bench. We will win the match, and Sergen will score the goal." Exactly that happened. Galatasaray won 1-0, and Sergen scored after coming on in the 56th minute.

Second. February 20, 2002. Anfield Road, the opponent is Liverpool. The English team boasted stars like Gerrard, Heskey, Owen, and Riise. Before the match, when I met Lucescu at Galatasaray's hotel, he told me: "We will play for a 0-0 draw.

Our sole striker, Ümit Karan, will trouble them with his diagonal runs. We will be compact and let the opponents have the ball. Our strongest weapon will be Mondragon, one of the best goalkeepers in the world."

And Lucescu's prediction came true: Ümit Karan tormented Liverpool's defense with his diagonal runs, Mondragon made some remarkable saves, and Galatasaray secured a draw.

Bülent Timurlenk concluded: "The quality of Romania's squad might be far below ours. However, in the two examples given from Galatasaray, his team succeeded with squads and tactics that included a large number of loaned players.

The match against Romania is no walk in the park. Montella will face Lucescu, a true tactical genius. Whoever executes their tactics correctly on the field will achieve victory."