Ex-National Player on Austria: "Turkish League is Much Better"

SK Sturm Graz faces an away match against Fenerbahce on Wednesday in the first leg of the 3rd qualifying round for the UEFA Champions League (from 20:00 in the LIVE ticker >>>).

Ekrem Dag, the ten-time ÖFB international, knows both countries well, having played 95 times for Sturm Graz in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga. Later, he made 217 appearances in the Süper Lig. Today, he is an assistant coach at first-division club Rizespor.

"...then Fenerbahçe will be clearly superior"

The 45-year-old sees Fenerbahce as clear favorites. "Regarding the squad comparison, Sturm has a weaker team than Fenerbahçe. But they play as a cohesive unit, act together and stay in the game 100%. This 'staying focused' is crucial. So it won't be easy," Dag is quoted by "Beslik".

Sturm's main problems lie in converting chances. Dag expects the following scenario:

"If they play with patience and pace in the attacking third while being defensively well covered, Fenerbahçe will be clearly superior. However, if they show too little of that and lull themselves into believing they have pinned down the opponent in the attacking third and are close to scoring, they could concede a goal."

Austria has "fewer talented players"

In a comparison of the leagues, Dag clearly prefers the Turkish Süper Lig. "The game in Austria is now very well-planned, but it is supported by talented players. The quality of the Turkish league is therefore significantly higher than that of the Austrian one," says Dag.

In Austria, there is a greater emphasis on teamwork, which has to do with the fact that there are "fewer talented players" there.

Dag's conclusion is: "Overall, I can say that Turkey is far superior." In the UEFA five-year ranking, the live standings are clear: the Turks are ninth, while the ADMIRAL Bundesliga is in 20th place.