Trabzonspor defender Stefan Savic believes his side can raise their performance level even further when they host Hearts in the Conference League on Thursday, following a 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Besiktas on Monday night.
The Turkish club, managed by Thomas Reis, warmed up for the matchday two fixture against Wouter Vrancken's men by beating Besiktas, with former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah scoring the second goal to take his season tally to eight.
Reis has won all four matches since taking charge last month, but Savic, a Premier League and La Liga title winner from his spells at Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, insists there is more to come from the squad.
Savic and Fabinho confident after Besiktas win
Speaking after the victory, Savic said: "We achieved a very important victory against Beşiktaş. This team is on the right track. This is not our level, it's much higher... We can do much better."
He added: "The important thing is not to concede goals, or if we do, to concede very few. We have great players; if we can defend well, we already have fantastic players in midfield and attack."
Brazil international Fabinho, who followed his former Liverpool teammate Salah to Trabzonspor over the summer, said: "It was a very difficult match, evenly balanced. Beşiktaş might have had more possession, but we made good use of our opportunities."
He continued: "Everyone in defense did their job well. We won the match without conceding a goal again, which was very important. It was a very important 3 points."
Hearts denied in opener, Trabzonspor eye another win
Trabzonspor began their European campaign with a win over Finnish side KuPS last week, while Hearts were denied all three points in their opener after conceding a late equaliser at home to Danish team FC Nordsjælland.
Reis said of the Besiktas performance: "The plan was to be disciplined... We knew the opponent was dangerous on set pieces, and we defended well. You also have to play football; you can't always win like that."
He added: "You also have to play transition football. Beşiktaş is a strong team with good players. We did our part well, and we were good in defense as well."
The German boss noted the demanding schedule, saying: "We had a long trip to Finland before the Beşiktaş match. We have good players in attack, but to win a match, you also have to defend well."
He concluded: "We are aware of our strength in defense, and we must use it well. In life, when you think you are very successful, you make mistakes. We will continue by analyzing why we won this match."
