The Turkish press heaped praise on the summer signing after the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Europa League. Sports daily NTV Spor, for instance, wrote of the "Alexander Nübel phenomenon", while Hürriyet concluded: "What would they have done without Nübel? Besiktas return to Istanbul with a fantastic result - and that is thanks to Nübel alone."
Fotomac hailed the 29-year-old as an "outstanding presence in goal", praising not only his reflexes but also his precise long passes. Fanatik also believe the goalkeeper will leave a lasting mark at the Süper Lig club: "Nübel is a goalkeeper who will be a great help to Besiktas in the long term. He made the decisive difference last night."
His superb display in the Czech Republic sparked the hype. In the 1-0 (0-0) win over Hradec Kralove, the former Bayern Munich player made 13 saves, according to data provider Opta.
Getty ImagesAlexander Nübel at Besiktas: three matches, no goals conceded
In the 70th minute, he denied the equaliser with a double save, then pushed away a dangerous header from Filip Cihak (90+1) in stoppage time. Even after Kassoum Ouattara was sent off for a second booking (71), Besiktas protected their lead and struck through Semih Kilicsoy's golden goal (80).
That also left the keeper with three clean sheets in his first three competitive matches for the Eagles. In the previous round, Besiktas had already beaten Danish side FC Midtjylland twice without conceding, 1-0 and 2-0.
Coach Vincenzo Italiano was delighted: "We have not conceded a goal in any of the three matches. I am very pleased about that. If you concede a goal, you become more vulnerable and make more mistakes in defence. I am very happy that did not happen."
Alexander Nübel: "I have an excellent relationship with everyone"
Nübel himself struck a modest tone as fans focused on him: "It is a nice feeling. I have had an excellent relationship with everyone since my arrival. I want it to stay that way. I want to help my team by producing the best possible performance."
What mattered most to him, though, was the team's display. "Football is a team sport, we play together. That is exactly what I love about football. We celebrate together when we win or score a goal. We share the disappointment in defeat. The most important thing is to act as a team. I feel good. I want to carry on exactly like this," the goalkeeper stressed.
Getty ImagesHow long is Alexander Nübel's contract at Besiktas?
For Nübel, the acclaim in Istanbul marks an ideal start to life in Turkey. In the summer of 2020, the then Germany Under-21 international joined Bayern Munich from Schalke 04 on a free transfer with the aim of succeeding Manuel Neuer there in the medium term. But the ambitious project hit trouble early on. Across six years under contract, the keeper made only four competitive appearances for the record champions.
Following a three-year loan spell at VfB Stuttgart, Nübel chose a fresh start on the Bosporus this summer. He signed for Besiktas until 2029. The second leg for a place in the Europa League league phase takes place next Thursday in front of a home crowd in Istanbul.