Freezing Conditions Fail to Ignite Istanbul-Berlin FC Match

Written by: Adrian Wojranowski

Cold air and a snowy sky set the scene for the clash between Istanbul and Berlin FC on Thursday night.

Istanbul made few changes to their lineup despite being abandoned by some of their key players. They used their signature 4-2-2-2 formation, with the only change being Dede moving from left wing back to a central position alongside Haydn Meadows. Newly-signed Danny Optic completed the two-striker pair alongside Muka Lodric.

Berlin FC also used the same formation, with Romeo Keitel and Diego Fantastico leading the attack. Floyd Lawton and Mirza Mihajlovic were positioned on the left attacking wing and left wing back, respectively, signaling that their key area of attack would be on the left.

The first half was an interesting one, with the balance leaning more towards the Turkish team. Berlin FC got the majority of possession due to Istanbul's signature defend-and-counter game plan, but the link-up between Rahimi and Lodric was excellent. Danny Optic, the newcomer, seemed to be making decisions that were a little off and couldnt finish until the last whistle.

The Berlin side realized that their defensive line was gassed out for pretty much the entire second half, so they made the decision to replace John Tackler for Nicos Hummels.

Just three minutes after the halftime kick-off, the German side created a great chance. Herr Kapitan, Floyd Lawton, executed a powerful shot that met the far post.

After that, there were no interesting key moments for either team. The disappointing forwards failed to execute any good chances created for them after an excellent defensive and midfield performance.

The game ended in a 0-0 draw. Istanbul fans will be the most annoyed with this result, as they didn't manage to secure a win against one of the bottom four teams.