2024-07-16 11:58:01
Interview with Zira head coach Rashad Sadykhov for Idman.biz.
– Zira won their first away victory in European competitions. What was the most dangerous thing in the game against Sheriff?
– We knew that the opponent was an experienced team. Six months ago, they played in the group stage of the European Cup. This is a team with a lot of experience in club tournaments. You expect danger from them at any moment, they keep the opponent under constant pressure. This also caused stress, which was felt in the one-on-one fight. Both teams started with reconnaissance, trying to get to know each other and being careful. The second half was marked by somewhat open football. Although both teams made dangerous attacks, there were no 100% goal episodes. In the end, we had an opportunity, we took advantage of it and won.
– Your away win won’t relax the team? How do you think the players will be motivated for the return match?
– Our opponent is Sheriff. I think my players are smart and experienced. They understand who our opponent is. It would be a big mistake to relax after a 1:0 win. They understand it themselves. I feel it from their condition. Yesterday, in the locker room, in the hotel, and at the airport, I saw that they understand that we have played the first part of the match and that a very important second part awaits us.
– How do you assess your chances after this victory?
– We won 1:0. Even if we lost with that score, the chances are 50/50.
– Do you plan to make any changes to the team’s lineup for the return match?
– Time will tell. At the moment, we need to analyze the match well. We will give priority to those who can do better and more useful actions on this day. Whether there will be changes in the team composition, we will find out shortly before the match.
– Did you manage to watch the match between Elfsburg and Pafos (3:0), your potential opponents?
– I didn’t watch the game and I don’t think so. We spent some time on the road from yesterday to today and analyzed our match. All our thoughts are about the return game with Sheriff.
Emin Aga
İdman.biz