Sage: We played a good game without the result
Pierre Sage said he was frustrated with the final score, but proud of the performance after Crystal Palace drew 2-2 in Besiktas on Thursday evening.
A spirited performance earned the Eagles a valuable point in Istanbul, with Yéremy Pino's clever finish and a stunning Jean-Philippe Mateta strike putting them 2-1 up.
But Besiktas ensured they took a point after Junior Olaitan found the net from outside the area in the 73rd minute to deny Sage's side the three points, which the performance deserved.
"I am satisfied with the performance," Sage told TNT Sports after the game. "A little bit frustrated for the lads, because they gave a lot this evening and I think they deserve better.
"We lacked concentration in the final minute of the first-half, at the end. It was the same thing when we were 2-1 up.
"In this kind of situation, you pay quickly if you make a little mistake.
I'm really happy for him
—Pierre Sage on Mateta
"But we have to remind ourselves the situation was worse before the game. It's a good step to go forward and now we need to win against Newcastle [on Sunday]."
Sage also said he was very happy for the returning Jean-Philippe Mateta, who marked his return to the team with a stunning strike to put Palace in front.
"I'm really happy for him," Sage added. "He was in a good area, it was a good moment for him just before coming off, because he was not really ready to play [a full 90 minutes].
"You see him tired, but when you have this mindset, when you want to play every ball and you give your life on the pitch, sometimes it's good for you.
"We have a lot of satisfactions with the individual performances. But I have to underline that, first of all, it's about the collective performance.
"They're willing to play, they're willing to go forward, they're willing to press. And I think at the end, they made a good game, without the deserved result."