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Panevėžys' "Ekranas" will cross swords with Icelandic champions FH at the Aukštaitija Stadium on Wednesday. During the press conference held on the eve of the match, "Ekranas" coach Valdas Dambrauskas stated that the team prepared very responsibly for this match. According to the strategist, they looked for weaknesses in the opponents' team and analyzed their strengths.
"Coach, the most important match of the season awaits on Wednesday. What are your thoughts on the eve of the match?"
"Yes, the match is very important, but I would like to emphasize that it is not just one. It is a match in two parts. Tomorrow will be the first part. I think no matter what the result will be after the match tomorrow, the pair of winners will be decided in Iceland.
"Did you put in a lot of work preparing for this match?"
"There was focused preparation throughout the week, we had gathered quite a bit of information about the Icelanders. We watched video footage, and also had the opportunity to visit Iceland, see how they play. I think we have done our homework, and further everything will depend on the players and the circumstances, how we will play and how the Icelanders will play."
"What impression did the opponents leave?"
"They definitely left a good impression - on both the players and the coaching staff. We saw perhaps more than we expected. FH is a team that plays well, a qualified team. I don't think they are of a lower level than the best Lithuanian teams. They also have strong individual players and play good team football. The coach's work and contribution are felt - the team shows a high level of discipline in defense."
"Is their playing style favorable to 'Ekranas'?"
"Their football style is not purely English - perhaps more Scandinavian. A lot also depends on the opponent they are playing with. If the opponent is subjectively weaker and allows them to play, they can show really good football, keeping the ball on the ground. However, their main strength is in quick counterattacks. For this, they use long passes forward, with usually attacking with 4 players, who are individually strong, fast and technical. They cause the most trouble to opponents."
"Did you find any gaps in their game while analyzing opponents?"
"Without a doubt, even when analyzing the best teams in the world, it is possible to find weaknesses. But that is not enough. We also need to have players in our team who can exploit their weaknesses, not allowing them to exploit our weaknesses. We find some areas of weakness, but everything will depend on how we will utilize them in the match."
"Are there any losses in the composition?"
"There was a lot of concern before the match, as several players after the last match against 'Kruoja' had some minor injuries. However, it seems that we will be in roughly optimal composition for the match against the Icelanders. Of course, except for Aurimas Kučys' injury - even at the start of the championship, we knew he would miss the entire season. Donatas Petrauskas also cannot train with the main group yet and will not be registered for the match. Other players are mostly healthy and tomorrow, I think any of them can show up on the field."
"The team has added two foreign players. What contribution do you expect from them?"
"I have said many times that no matter whether a player or a coach joins the team, they alone cannot solve anything. Our newcomers Marko and Dejan will only help the team, but they cannot solve everything. It is naive to expect that their duo alone will take us to the next stage. Magic wands do not exist. Unless those players were Messi or Ronaldo. No one doubts that the legionnaires can join the teamwork and help us. They are professional, experienced players who will bring quality to our game. It must be said that Marko has only played one half so far, and Dejan will officially debut in our team tomorrow. Also, there will be a need for them to get used to each other, mutual understanding."
