Besiktas defender Amir Murillo has criticised his teammates for surrendering a two-goal lead, with the Turkish club preparing to face Celtic this week.
The Istanbul side travel to Parkhead for their fourth Europa League group-stage match, having already lost to Ferencvaros, Benfica and Celta Vigo. Celtic, meanwhile, are coming off a shock 2-0 defeat to Falkirk under Martin O'Neill.
Murillo Critical After Kasimpasa Draw
Besiktas dropped six points behind league leaders Galatasaray after letting a 2-0 advantage slip in a draw against Kasimpasa. The Panama international defender was blunt about the performance.
"We didn't do what we needed to do after going two goals up. We lost our rhythm. We relaxed. And that's why we lost two important points," Murillo said. "It's very disappointing because we play well at home, but seem to have a problem away from home and we need to improve in those games. We need to show these kinds of performances that we do at home to be challenging at the top of the league."
Djalo Acknowledges Away Struggles
Portuguese defender Tiago Djalo, formerly of Juventus and AC Milan, echoed those concerns about Besiktas's form on the road.
"Unfortunately, we can't seem to win away games at the moment. The only thing we can do is work harder and improve. I understand the disappointment and anger from the fans," Djalo said.
Celtic's Other Opponents Sack Manager
Meanwhile, Celtic's other Europa League opponents, Torreense, have dismissed the manager who led them to historic success after they slipped to the bottom half of Portugal's second tier.
The Hoops face the Portuguese minnows later this month in Leiria, 50 miles from their home in Torres Vedras, because their 2,000-capacity stadium is not suitable for European competition. Torreense made history last season by defeating Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Cup Final under boss Luis Tralhao, but he has now been replaced by former Estrela da Amadora manager Joao Nuno.
Torreense sit 12th in the Portuguese second division after a difficult domestic campaign, though they won their opening European match in Norway against Lillestrom and were only beaten by Sunderland after an injury-time goal. They host Armenian side Ararat-Armenia this week before welcoming Celtic at the end of the month.
