"We know that "Hayduk" is a very strong team. But everything depends on our performance,"
Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Zira goalkeeper Tiago Silva in his statement to AZERTAC while talking about the matches they will hold against Croatian team "Hayduk" in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
The Portuguese goalkeeper said that Croatian clubs always play very aggressive and tense games: "We have two very difficult matches ahead of us. Our opponent is almost at the same level as "Osijek" and "Omonia", which we faced last season. If we are strong, brave and careful as in the matches with "Osijek", we have a chance to advance to the next stage. But if we can't focus, it will be difficult for us."
He stated that they want to win the first match against "Hayduk" at home and go to Croatia with an advantage: "I think this is very important. Winning at home will help us to be more competitive on the road. We want to see a stadium with a great atmosphere, with a large number of fans at home. We expect good support. Our team must continue to make history and grow even more internationally."
The goalkeeper emphasized that they will enter the first match as if it were a final game: "Since last season, we have stated that our main goal in the European Cups is to reach the group stage. But this time we need to pay special attention to something that we did not pay attention to last year. We only need to focus on one game. We have to approach each match like a final. There is no need to think about the next matches in advance. Right now, all our attention is completely on "Hayduk". We must face all the difficulties and prepare seriously for the game. We must show ourselves on the field not only as football players, but as fighters."
It should be noted that the first match between the teams will take place on July 23 at the Neftchi Arena, and the return match will take place on July 31 at the "Polyud" stadium in Split.
Idman.biz