Bayer Leverkusen’s captain Lukas Hradecky warned his teammates about the euphoria of the Hungarian fans before the round of 16 second leg of the Europa League at Ferencváros Budapest on Thursday (9 p.m. / RTL +).
“I’ve already seen a few choreos. It will be a great experience for all of us,” said the Finnish national goalkeeper after a walk through the stadium: “But I know the Hungarian fans. I’ve been here two or three times with the national team. They support me their team without end. It will be difficult.”
To be precise, Hradecky has been to Hungary with Finland four times, three of which he was on the bench. And none of the four games took place in the new Puskás Aréna, to which the Hungarian champions have moved especially for the game and which, with almost 70,000 spectators, is expected to be sold out. “The pressure will be great at the beginning,” said Hradecky after the 2-0 win in the first leg: “They will try to score the first goal as early as possible.”
The 33-year-old sees the starting position as good, but treacherous. “She’s definitely better than against Monaco,” said Hradecky, looking back on the previous round when Bayer lost 3-2 at home and advanced on penalties after winning 3-2 in the second leg. “We have to be aware that if we were able to shoot it, we have to be careful that it doesn’t happen to us too.” (dpa)