Aznur's results in their opening two matches of the Minifootball Champions League were negatively affected by costly mistakes, head coach Rajab Farajzada has said.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the coach analyzed his team's two defeats.
"We clearly had the upper hand in the first match, but we failed to convert our chances. The opponents defended with almost their entire team. We had clear-cut opportunities in both the first and second halves but couldn't take them. They scored from two of our major mistakes, and after that we couldn't recover. Despite creating chances, the match ended 0:2," Farajzada told Report.
The coach also spoke about Aznur's second opponents and the limited recovery time between matches.
"Our next game was played three hours after the first one. Our first opponents were from Poland and had players aged 22-24 in their squad. The second team was a little older. I told the players that this was a good opportunity for us because we were younger than them. At the same time, we had very little time to recover – only three hours. The second match was evenly contested. Two of the three goals we conceded came as a result of major mistakes."
Farajzada also assessed the physical condition of Aznur's opponents.
"Overall, my team was physically prepared for this tournament. There are some really ambitious teams here this year. They may not be that superior tactically or technically, but physically they are very well prepared. I would even say they are stronger than 70 percent of our players in that respect. I saw that they play a very physical style of football."
The Aznur head coach also looked ahead to the team's final group match.
"There is always a chance to win every match. You have to be 100 percent ready and fully motivated. We represent Azerbaijan and are playing in the Champions League. You have to approach every game with great determination. Our final match will be against the Hungarians. The Hungarian team is considered one of the favorites of the tournament. Our group is really difficult.
"Our third match will start at 16:00 Baku time. I don't want to make excuses, but the organization is somewhat poor. You play at 14:00, the match ends at 15:00, and the next game is at 19:00. We arrive at the hotel at 16:00 and have to head back to the venue just one or two hours later."
Aznur, competing in Group F of the Champions League, lost their opening match 0:2 to Poland's Sokil before suffering a 2:3 defeat against England's Bukovina Badeuti.
The Azerbaijani team will play their final group match against Hungary's The Private Rooftop today at 16:00 Baku time.
