Tonight at the Centenary Stadium, Maltese champions Ħamrun Spartans will try to bounce back against FK Žalgiris of Lithuania, after losing 2-0 away last Wednesday.
Giacomo Modica had words of praise for his players’ performance in the first leg, but emphasised that when you have chances, you need to take them especially at this level.
“I can’t really complain about our approach, but we made mistakes in defence and struggled on the first goal, which came from a set-piece. They made the most of their chances, scoring twice from four attempts. We created even more, but couldn’t take advantage. In big matches like this, especially away from home, you’ve got to be clinical”
Asked about the probability of changing formation to a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 Modica said that these are just numbers and that the most important thing is how well we use the space on the pitch.
”I want my players to be proactive, pressing high, winning the ball back quickly, and being sharp in front of goal. We need to come out with intensity from the first whistle. An early goal could shift the momentum and change the course of the tie.”
Malta international Joseph Mbong also spoke about the positivity around the squad and said that the players’ morale is still high.
“As a squad, we’re still confident we can turn this around because we know the quality we have. It’s not the first time we’ve been in this situation, some of the players have been here before and managed to come back. We’ve worked on the areas that needed improving after the first leg, and overall, the mood in the camp is positive. We believe in ourselves.”
The game will be played tonight at the Centenary Stadium and kicks off at 7pm.
