Ž. Sopičius: 'Anything can happen in the penalty area during the rain'

2026-07-08 00:10 © zalgiris.lt

FK "Kauno Žalgirio" footballers started the first stage of the UEFA Champions League qualifying round with a draw against Kosovo champion Gjilan's "Drita" team (1:1). After the match, head coach Željko Sopić shared his thoughts on his players' performance at the press conference.

"These were challenging matches. I believe we had better opportunities to score a goal and fly to Kosovo with a goal advantage, but that's football. In such weather conditions, we need to make more passes into the penalty area, which I felt was lacking. In the rain, anything can happen in the penalty area. On the other hand, I must say that I am satisfied with how we played. "Drita" is a team that played in the Conference League last season, so it's normal that we need to play better in the future," said the strategist.

Ž. Sopić also highlighted the changes that would need to be made before the return match.

"We can't change too many things. We can only improve the physical condition of those players who missed training because they came from other clubs where the season has already ended. Frankly, at this level, everything happens in such a way that if you give the opponents opportunities to attack the penalty area, you will suffer. I think we lacked a bit of luck at the end to score the second goal, but as I said, this is only the first match," added Ž. Sopić.