Faith pays off for Fenerbahçe winger

Uğur Boral has taken to the UEFA Champions League with considerable aplomb – and after helping Fenerbahçe SK defeat Sevilla FC in the first leg of their last-16 encounter he believes anything is possible for his side.

Faith
Having scored twice on his competition debut in the Matchday 6 win against PFC CSKA Moskva that took Fenerbahçe through, the 25-year-old last night menaced Sevilla down the left and helped create the first two goals in the dramatic 3-2 win that gave the Turkish champions the edge for the return in Spain. "We believed that we could beat Sevilla," Uğur Boral said. "People who have faith in themselves can achieve anything and we proved that tonight."

Confidence
Confidence is certainly high for the rematch on 4 March. "Sevilla were not the giants they were made out to be in the Turkish media," continued the midfielder. "There's no need to exaggerate the opposition's strength as this result proves. Sevilla may have some really good players but they were not better than us. Thanks to this victory, we feel even more confident. With this in mind, we can play better in Spain. We will be more cautious but we think we can beat them. As for my performance, I have played against many good footballers. I did so again today and I suppose I did my job quite well."

Determination
It was not an easy night, though, Sevilla cancelling out home leads in both halves before Fenerbahçe's 87th-minute winner. Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel said: "Despite the goals we conceded, we never gave up. When we went into the dressing room at half-time, I saw the light in the eyes of my team-mates. For the second leg, I am sure that we can get the result we want because we are so ambitious and determined."

Lugano defends Edu
The reason the teams were level at the break was an Edu own goal, his second in as many UEFA Champions League matches, but central defensive partner Lugano said: "Errors in midfield can be covered but that is not the case in defence. Sometimes you can have unlucky experiences like Edu had. These things happen in football. I could have been in his shoes now."