Arif Asadov: "Sabah's" physical condition showed itself in the second half

"Sabah" did not deserve to lose with the game they showed. The fair result of the match would have been a draw. It's football, there is always a chance. Let's hope that our representative will achieve a successful result on the road." Arif Asadov said in his statement to Sport24.az.

The experienced specialist commented on the match in which "Sabah" lost to "Celje" in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the Europa League:

"In the first half, our representative built the game correctly. Analyzing the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, they took the lead twice. Considering that "Celje's" head coach is Spanish, they are a team that likes to play with the ball. Against this, "Sabah" built the game correctly in the opponent's field. In the second half, there was a change in the tactical plan. Valdas Dambrauskas pulled the team back to protect the score. This untied the hands of the Slovenian representative. "Celje" is a serious and dangerous team, they have a settled staff. "Sabah" shows good features. New experienced football players have been involved in the team. In yesterday's match, the opponent's skill spoke for itself. "Sabah's" football players were physically lagging behind. This showed itself in the second half. The head coach also felt it."

Note that the return match between the teams will take place on July 17.