The first match will be played in Larnaca on February 16
Head coach of the Cypriot AEK Jose Luis Oltra commented upcoming confrontation in the 1/16 finals of the League of Conferences with Dnepr-1.
“Tomorrow we have a very important and difficult match. We play it thanks to a good performance in the group stage of the Europa League. We have a chance to win tomorrow and, why not, go to the next round. Of course, it will be difficult, because the opponent has a very strong team, strong players.”
“I think they have changed since our previous meetings. Yes, they didn’t have official matches for two months, but they’ve been preparing, they’re the first in the Ukrainian championship. We may have lost the element of surprise, like we did when we knocked them out last time.”
“I think both teams have improved. When we played in the summer, Dnepr-1 entered the field for the first time after a 6-month break. They arrived here in Cyprus, faced with unusual weather, humidity – all this created a surprise factor, which, in my opinion, was important. Now it is cool in Larnaca, Dnepr-1 had a successful first round of the championship, gained confidence.”
“We also got better. Since last summer we have been working hard and now we are showing better results than at the beginning of the season. I think we are waiting for two balanced games. Dnepr-1 has Pikhalyonok, Dovbik, Peglow, Matarrita have been added to them. They have good players.”
“I think that the game model of Dnipro-1 has not changed much, but they have become better physically, they added confidence. I think they were strengthened by new players. They look good defensively, they work together as a team and it is very difficult to create chances at their goal. It was in the Conference League, the championship, and I think it will be the same tomorrow. They also play well with the ball thanks to the presence of Pikhalenok and Dovbik. It’s a strong team that looks good in different phases of the game, but we’ve gotten better too and we have to fight.”
The first match of the playoffs of the Conference League will be held in Larnaca on 16 February. The meeting starts at 22:00 Kyiv time. Jacob Kehlet from Denmark has been appointed as the main referee of the match..
The second leg, which will be home for Dnipro-1, will take place in Kosice, Slovakia, on February 23.
Recall that the rivals have already met this season in the qualification of the Europa League. Then AEK beat Dnipro-1 twice – 2:1 and 3:0.
Source: Sportarena
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