Marsaxlokk will be aiming for another positive display on Thursday as they host FK Partizani Tirana of Albania in the second leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League at the Centenary Stadium, kick-off at 19:00.
The first leg at the Elbasan Arena in Elbasan last week ended in a 1-1 draw and therefore the tie is still wide open.
The Southseasiders, on their return to European football after an absence of sixteen years, conceded an early goal after just two minutes but Yuri Messias restored equilibrium within the first fifteen minutes.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, coach Winston Muscat said the team’s performance in the first leg fills him with courage.
“Last week’s game was the first half and this is the second half. The team’s performance in the first leg fills us with courage. I am sure that our opponents will be all out to do better on Thursday as they know are qualities. In the first leg, possibly, they could have underestimated us, considering that we are coming from a small country.”
“As I said before the first leg, we know that it will be difficult but not impossible and thanks to the result of the first leg, we believe more that we can make it. However, it is of utmost importance that we keep our feet on the ground …. we have ninety very difficult minutes. But considering the hard work over the past weeks, we feel we are well-prepared.”
The Marsaxlokk coach spoke about the benefits obtained from the training camp the club had abroad ahead of these commitments.
“We had six new players in squad. The training camp helped the players unite more since we lived together as a family. We trained twice daily, played three friendlies including teams from the top divisions of Romania and Serbia – two difficult games which helped us prepare better for this adventure. We had an excellent set-up with professional staff and I would like to thank the president for making this possible. It enabled us to prepare in the best way possible. Staying together as a group, play three friendly matches at a much higher tempo than we are used to helped us to be in shape against Partizani.”
Muscat said FK Partizani’s strength lies mainly in midfield with Rrapaj, Murataj and Maguette along with their main forward Mba. He added that while they should be happy for the prestigious result obtained in Albania, they should now aim at qualifying for the next stage although it would not be easy, considering that a win is a must.
Asked regarding a possible historic qualification, captain Ryan Scicluna said “As it was the case in the first leg, we believed in ourselves. Although the early goal was a shock, we reacted well and the fact that we did not lose the game fills us with optimism and we will go out in this game, aiming for qualification.”
Meanwhile Partizani will be hoping for a second qualification over a Maltese club, having eliminated Birkirkara from the UEFA Cup first qualifying round in 2004 with a 5-4 aggregate score. In the seven times, Maltese and Albanian clubs were drawn together, the latter have always prevailed.
A clash with FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi of Georgia awaits the winner of this two-legged tie.
Source: Malta Football
