"Shkendija" will host "Qarabagh" in their home stadium as part of the first match of the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. Sport24.az reports that the head coach of the North Macedonian team, Jeton Beqiri, shared his thoughts at the press conference held before the match:
"In European cups, each team has its own unique qualities. It is important to be at the maximum level as a team. Later, by conducting analyses during the week, analyzing the opponent's strengths, we will try to neutralize them and use the opportunities created. We are talking about an extremely serious team. "Qarabagh" has been champion 11 times in 12 seasons. They have a very serious and good head coach who has been leading the team for 17 years in a row. While respecting the opponent, we will not forget to respect ourselves at every moment.
It is very important for us to perform at the highest level. After the first match with FCSB, I was not satisfied with the game. I knew we had to play better to advance. I believe we will have many chances. We need to be very careful and take advantage of our chances.
I think 90 minutes of football brings both attack and defense situations. We are a team that tries to do our best. Normally, there are situations where we are very aggressive in attack or situations where we defend well. But despite this, we need to think and hope that we will score. This is the most important thing in the match, whether in Baku or Skopje.
I would not want to compare "Qarabagh" with our previous opponent FCSB. Because we are talking about different types of teams. I believe that "Qarabagh"'s strength is their head coach and some players who have been together for a long time, making the team serious. We must respect the opponent. Of course, we consider them favorites. But there are 90 minutes to decide everything.
"Qarabagh" is an experienced team. There are players there who have also played in North Macedonia and Albania. They are a club that invests a lot. But I don't think these details will affect the match. Football always consists of many components. There is the VAR system, cards, individual mistakes, team mistakes. There can be a bad night, and there can be a perfect night. I mean, everything is expected in football. We will put our strength on the field for a positive result".