© EuroFootball.com
Preparing for the most important match of the season, UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Tel Aviv FC "Hapoel", Panevezys "Ekranas" rested on Wednesday after the trip and held a training session in the "Bloomfield" stadium in the evening, where on Thursday at 20:30 Lithuanian time they will clash with the Israeli team.
You can see the report on the upcoming match by clicking here.
Images from the first match and thoughts of the footballers:
"Ekranas" head coach Valdas Urbonas:
"The weather is hot, but that's not news. Overall, conditions are very good, the wind is great. I don't see any exceptional things that would be unfavorable for us. Every upcoming match is important, this season we've had enough important matches already, the team is experienced and it's not like the players would react in any special way to Thursday's match. The men are preparing, they arrived with serious focus, and there is no unusual tension. The most important thing is to play these matches with maximum concentration.
I think we have the strongest lineup we could have today. Ignas Dedura got injured a bit during training, but I hope he will be able to play at full strength and we will be at our optimal lineup."
"Ekranas" one of the key defenders Marko Andelkovic, who missed the first match due to a red card suspension, says that the home team can be considered the favorites, but "Ekranas" will be well prepared and will seek a favorable result.
"Thursday is a very important match, a season match. The wind at the stadium is excellent, the weather is also good. I think we will be well prepared to represent Lithuanian football. It is important to concentrate for the full 90 minutes, give our all and we will see what result we will achieve. One important detail is that we have a slight advantage having won the home match. We need to aim for the best result for us.
Perhaps the favorite of the match is FC "Hapoel", as they play at home. Overall, looking at the results of the Israeli team, objectively speaking, they are superior. However, the first match showed that we can achieve a good result. The atmosphere here will be favorable for them, a full stadium, so maybe they are the favorites in the return leg.
We will focus on defense, it is important not to concede a goal in the first half of the match. Additionally, we will try to counter-attack, exploit set pieces, and look for opportunities in front of their goal.
"Ekranas" defender Aurimas Vertelis: "It can be unequivocally said that they are the favorites of the match. The climate here is favorable for them, they will have many fans. The weather is not typical, a bit too hot. In the evening, although there is no sun, it is very humid, a lot of fluids are being used.
After losing the chance against BATE, there is no way to further motivate the team. With a 1:0 score after the first match, we just need to go onto the field and fight and aim for the ultimate goal - qualification to the next stage. They will try to score a quick goal, supported by their fans, they will rush to attack, as they need to score more than once. Well, for us it is important to defend and later look for opportunities up front, hoping to score a goal accompanied by Fortune."
