Karazor hoping to "channel that anger into energy" for the second-leg in Porto
| Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images. |
Tonight's 2-1 loss on home soil to last-16 Europa League opponents Porto was enough to leave VfB Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor livid with how the game unfolded.
“We’re furious – we have to channel that anger into energy in the second leg," the 29-year-old said, cutting a frustrated figure in his post match interview.
"We were the better team for over 80 minutes, but ten minutes cost us a significantly better starting position. That’s frustrating, but it reflects the high level of this competition.
"Porto were clinical and ruthless. We take away the fact that we can compete on equal terms and that we now have to turn those 80 good minutes into 90 very good minutes.
“After the final whistle, the fans gave us an enormous boost: I saw the fire in every player’s eyes, the feeling that we could still turn this round of 16 tie around,” he added.
With the Baden-Württemberg club now trailing 2-1 on aggregate, next Thursday's daunting trip to the Estádio do Dragão will require a big performance from Karazor and his teammates.
