"Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, just like ours and theirs. However, one surprising aspect is that Hajduk’s Spanish head coach has completely changed the team’s playing philosophy. The players are more disciplined and more motivated. You could feel this from the very first game. Both teams want to advance to the next round. I think an exciting match awaits us."
Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Zira’s head coach Rashad Sadygov in an interview with CBC Sport before traveling to Croatia for the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round match against Hajduk.
The 43-year-old coach emphasized that Hajduk has an advantage over Zira in terms of squad depth: "Currently, neither team can be in ideal physical condition. We are playing the second game of the season. We saw in the second half of the match in Baku that the dynamics dropped. This is due to the early stage of the season and weather conditions. In such situations, the reserve players come into play. From this perspective, the opponent has the advantage. Their squad list is broader, and 4-5 of their youth players play in the starting lineup. We also have injured players. In short, the opponent’s bench looks stronger. However, we will try to do our best with the resources we have."
Sadygov also spoke about the first match in Baku (1:1), saying they were not inferior to Hajduk: "Our successful performance last season has further increased the players' confidence. We saw this in the first half of the Baku match as well. We almost didn’t allow the opponent to lift their heads throughout the field. However, after the break, the game changed. I wouldn’t say the opponent played better, it’s just that the pressing of both teams decreased. In the last 10-15 minutes, we took control. We were the side closer to scoring. Two worthy opponents are competing against each other. The first match showed that both teams analyzed each other well."
The Hajduk - Zira match will be held on July 31 at 23:00 Baku time.
Idman.biz
