We are playing our second match of the 2026-2027 Süper Lig season tonight at 7 PM against Başakşehir in Akyazı.

Başakşehir is a true "system" team, both in terms of its organization and on its 68x105 meter pitch.

This is exactly where the difference between us and Başakşehir becomes very clear.

First and foremost, they are extremely meticulous about managerial stability at the corporate level. The fact that they have worked with 6 managers since 2014, compared to ours having worked with 15, inevitably makes us appear as a "club in chaos."

A key factor in Başakşehir's integration with the world of football is its strategic partnership with City Football Group, similar to our agreement with Double Pass, a consulting and development firm for youth development.

While they are growing steadily as an organization, in our case, the system is being implemented and then dismantled almost simultaneously.

Now let's talk about the coaches.

A constant feature of this type of article is the comparison of technical staff.

Tekke and Şahin are two coaches who stand out with their tactical planning; fundamentally similar, but with different philosophies and interpretations of the game in terms of details.

Although both coaches deploy an organization similar to Pep Guardiola's approach, Nuri Şahin, influenced by the German school of football, prefers a game with stricter rules and more pronounced positional discipline.

Coach Fatih, however, has a more flexible approach in this regard. He is a coach who allows improvisation in certain parts of the game, wanting players to use their individual skills, and hoping to gain the audience's support through this creative play.

However, whether he can translate what he wants onto the field is a bit unclear.

His statement in the post-match comments, "I have a feeling we will get better," is also partly related to the situation I mentioned.

In my opinion, with his direct and creative playing style, and the partial improvisation I mentioned, Fatih Terim would be the superior team if it were reflected more on the field.

This more optional playing style is also a result of a bold approach to the game, stemming from the football environment in which Coach Fatih grew up.

One of the main reasons why the playing style I mentioned isn't seen on the pitch more often is the coach's player selections.

Most of the time he can't start the game with the right starting eleven.

Even when it comes to player substitutions, he sometimes fails to deliver.

I think this is where our professor really needs to improve.

What kind of performance will we see on the pitch today for both teams?

In my opinion, it will be a closely contested match, both tactically and in terms of on-field effort.

If coach Nuri tries to start the game with his usual strategy of building play from the back, and if coach Fatih's usual desire to confine the opponent to the attacking third is realized, then we can expect a highly entertaining match.

Trabzonspor could, in this situation, completely disrupt Başakşehir's plans through Muçi, Salah, and Onuachu.

I'd say we'll be overjoyed if we score an early goal, but I don't want to say that yet.

Because, from our point of view, there is a very important mistake: giving the ball to the opponent and then waiting is not a healthy or correct approach for us.

For some reason, we've experienced this frequently in previous seasons.

Today, the main rule should be in line with the chant "Attack, my Trabzon, goal, goal!"

However, this should not be met with an uncontrolled attack.

When we press high, preventing the opponent from making quick counter-attacks after losing possession is just as important as disrupting Başakşehir's plan to build play from the back.

Today I expect Muçi on the right, Salah in the number 10 position, and Aral on the left.

Muçi needs to use his game intelligence and footwork to break down the speed and toughness of Christopher Operi, one of the opposing team's most in-form players.

However, simply stopping Operi isn't enough here. When Operi pushes forward, the space he leaves behind can disrupt the balance of the Başakşehir defense, not only through the threat Muçi poses in one-on-one situations, but also through his runs.

I think Salah playing behind the striker, with Onuachu acting as both a defensive wall and a setter, will disrupt the balance of the opposing defense.

Salah playing in this position will help him remain calmer and better showcase his speed and agility on the pitch.

The important thing here is that Salah doesn't get lost in the build-up play by dropping back. With Onuachu drawing the central defenders towards him, Salah receiving the ball in the second zone and turning towards the goal could be one of Trabzonspor's most important weapons in attack.

Muçi and Aral also need to get close to Onuachu through the inner corridors, so we don't leave our striker isolated.

With Onana's sometimes boundary-pushing self-confidence in goal, Savić's influence and strong leadership on the team, Melih's desire to prove himself and say "I'm also part of this team," and Salah's creative play behind the striker, we think we can win. Our problem is, how much of our own free and creative game will we be able to reflect on the field against Başakşehir's system?

The key is not to become more of a "system team" than them to win, but to be ourselves.

When we score an early goal, our biggest mistake is sitting back defensively.

If we can give them possession of the ball and take control of the game, as Frenvaros did to us, it could mean not playing the game they want us to play.

Our style of play should be characterized by high-pressure pressing, counter-pressing after turnovers, and quick counter-attacks.

I believe that if we do these things right, and with the help of the Akyazı atmosphere, we can disrupt Başakşehir's system.

I'm expecting a very enjoyable match today, in terms of tactics, effort, and atmosphere.

Say what?