O. Verbickas: we hope to bring a positive result to Cyprus

2024-07-24 18:33 © E. Žaldario

On Thursday, "Žalgiris" will face its first test against the Cypriot Cup winner "Pafos" FC – the first match of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League will take place in Vilnius, at the LFF Stadium.

Before the match, "Žalgiris" coach Vladimir Čeburinas and team captain Ovidijus Verbickas hoped that the home advantage would help achieve a positive result.

"It's the second stage, the first match. We have reached this point through different paths. A tough opponent, but the mood is good," said the coach.

"It's very nice that we managed to take the first step towards our goal. Of course, the team understands that tough matches await us tomorrow. We are ready for that. We know what we need to do. If we give one hundred percent and even more on the pitch, I believe we will achieve a positive result," said O. Verbickas.

In the first stage, the Žalgiris team started with an away match against a Finnish club, and this time they will play the first match at home.

"There is not a huge difference. I hope the stadium will be full. It's even better that we start at home. We will be able to show what we can do here. We hope to take a positive result to Cyprus," said "Žalgiris" captain.

Six years ago, V. Čeburinas and O. Verbickas competed in the ranks of "Sūduva" against Nicosia's APOEL and managed to achieve a sensational victory then.

"The past is the past. Good memories. Now we face another team, with a different philosophy. We are preparing seriously for the match against this opponent. We analyze and plan our actions. At our stadium, in front of our fans, we will be hoping for the best," said V. Čeburinas.

"Only good emotions. We defeated a Cypriot team. There is no team that is unbeatable. I believe we can also succeed in reaching the next stage now," said O. Verbickas.

The match between "Žalgiris" and "Pafos" will take place on Thursday starting at 19:00 at the LFF Stadium.