Following what was undoubtedly his Besiktas team’s biggest game of the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left the Turkish media in agreement. At first, a lot of people had doubts regarding the manager’s appointment to lead the Turkish Super Lig team. When Besiktas chose to hire him in early 2025, he had been without a job since his time at Manchester United ended in 2021.
He had the best record at the club since 1950 in terms of the average number of points they were scoring per game after nine games in charge, thus it was a gamble that soon paid off. Life in Turkey got off to a great start, and Solksjaer swiftly dispelled his sceptics as his team moved up into the running for European football. His admirers had nothing but good things to say about him and were enjoying life under him.
His team’s three consecutive losses in March put everything in jeopardy. When they faced Galatasaray, their fierce rivals who are now dominating the Turkish Super Lig, it appeared like things would only get worse. Despite the odds, Besiktas prevailed, and the former Cardiff City manager’s brilliant tactical adjustment was the key to the triumph.
Solskjaer’s Tactical Change Beat Galatasaray
He decided to play six midfielders and no forwards
Solskjaer knew he needed to do something exceptional to keep his team from losing when they faced a team like Galatasaray after three straight losses, and he accomplished just that. Against the league leaders, the former United player chose to play a 4-6-0 formation with no strikers and six midfielders, and it was a great strategy.
Solksjaer chose to start without any strikers, even though he had players like Ciro Immobile at his disposal, and it worked wonders against Galatasaray. Besiktas defeated their fierce rivals 2-1 thanks to strikes from Gedson Fernandes and Rafa Silva. Przemysław Frankowski’s dismissal in the 36th minute reduced Galatasaray to 10 men in the first half, but Solskjaer’s team still won handily, and the media showered him with accolades after his tactical mastery.
The Turkish Media Shows Interest
They have been praising Solskjaer.
The Turkish media showered the Norwegian with accolades early in Solskjaer’s time at Besiktas. According to Transfermarkt, Turkish football expert Lara Karacan discussed his influence at Besiktas after he won seven of his first nine games:
“After several managerial changes, Solskjaer has brought the squad back to life with a fast-paced, aggressive style of play, as evidenced by the 4-1 Europa League victory over Athletic Bilbao. By bringing in specialists like Tom Green, he has improved analysis and addressed problems like the absence of a scouting section. An indirect but beneficial outcome for Solskjaer is that the club’s owners are now covering the salary of their players, something that wasn’t always the case under Van Bronckhorst.
The media was eager to congratulate the manager following Besiktas’ victory over Galatasaray, and he has received a lot of credit for the outcome. However, the acclaim subsided a little after three consecutive losses.
Turkish-language journal “Ole’s system worked,” Duhuliye stated, giving him credit for the victory. Let’s give Ole the credit. Starting the game in a 4-6-0 shape and keeping Immobile and Semih on the bench was a smart move.
Turkish television’s D-Smart also examined the triumph, stating: “With Solskjær’s analysis of Galatasaray, he identified his opponent’s weaknesses and used his own team’s strengths to checkmate Okan Buruk.”
👉 Solskjær’in Galatasaray analiziyle beraber, rakibinin zayıf yönlerini belirlemiş, kendi takımının da kuvvetli olduğu noktaları kullanarak Okan Buruk’u mat etti.
Beşiktaş x Galatasaray derbisi özet.👇@DSmartDunyasi @SporSmart_ pic.twitter.com/lhle0sIPUY
— Semih Sezerli (@SemihSezerli) March 30, 2025
Onder Ozen, the Turkish coach, also expressed some optimism on the outcome. He discussed Solskjaer’s decision-making, saying: “Starting Rafa Silva early was a very wise move on Solskjaer’s part. It’s a completely sound notion.
🚨 | Önder Özen: "Solskjaer, Rafa Silva’yı en önde başlatarak çok akıllı bir seçim yapmış. Yüzde yüz doğru bir fikir." pic.twitter.com/XknqXcYmJh
— 🇹🇷 Transfer Haberleri ⚒ (@Transferhaber6) March 30, 2025
Numerous more articles in the media also praised Solskjaer. The manager was held accountable for the outcome, according to the Turkish website Skorer, which asserted that Beşiktaş was deserving of victory in every manner. Rafa Silva had a fantastic game. He was accompanied by Joao Mario. As a squad, the Black Eagles performed well. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who did a great deal of studying, is undoubtedly the main architect of this triumph.
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