After FK Žalgiris Vilnius 3-0 defeat to Dinamo Tbilisi, head coach Andrius Skerla admitted his biggest disappointment was how easily his side conceded the goals.
The Lithuanian champions now face an uphill battle in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie, with Skerla insisting his team must respond with a stronger performance and greater character in front of their home supporters.
Žalgiris suffered a 3-0 defeat away from home on Thursday evening, with all three goals coming inside the opening half-hour.
“There were moments when we controlled possession as well, and overall the ball possession was fairly even. But especially in the first half, we gave the ball away far too easily while in possession, which allowed them to launch counter-attacks. We thought we were prepared for that, but individually they caused us a lot of problems,” Skerla said after the match.
The coach admitted that the goals his side conceded were the most frustrating aspect of the performance.
“They had some good chances and beat us in certain situations, but they didn’t take those opportunities. The goals we conceded, however, were very poor. We definitely could have defended those situations better, and the result could have been very different,” he added.
Two of Dinamo’s goals came from set pieces – one following a corner and another after a free-kick, with the ball rebounding off the crossbar before being converted.
“It’s easy to talk about concentration afterwards. It looks like the goalkeeper makes a save, but then we make another mistake, we’re not close enough to the opponents, and they score. It’s disappointing because these are situations that should be under our control. You never want to concede, but goals like these are especially frustrating,” Skerla explained.
Despite the result, goalkeeper Vincentas Šarkauskas produced several important saves to keep the scoreline from becoming even more severe.
“Their dangerous chances came through individual quality. They beat us one-on-one on several occasions, and our goalkeeper played very well today and bailed us out more than once. But the goals themselves came from our own mistakes,” the coach said.
Žalgiris improved after the break, enjoying more possession and preventing Dinamo from extending their lead, although they were unable to find a goal themselves.
“It wasn’t easy to come out for the second half already trailing 3-0. Perhaps the opponents had eased off a little. We controlled possession, but it was difficult to break them down, even though we did create a few dangerous chances,” Skerla reflected.
The Žalgiris manager also praised 16-year-old Dinamo Tbilisi talent Tornike Kvaratskhelia, who impressed throughout the match.
“We knew about him, we had watched videos and analysed his strongest qualities. But it’s still remarkable that a 16-year-old is so physically developed and so talented. I think another star is growing here. When he has the ball, he isn’t afraid. He plays with confidence, takes on defenders and keeps trying. Sometimes he loses the ball, but he plays without any fear,” Skerla said.
Looking ahead to the return leg, the coach stressed that his players must produce a much-improved display in front of their home crowd.
“We have to show character. What happened in the first half was not acceptable, for us or for our supporters. We know the stadium will be full at home, and the fans will come to support us. We cannot play like that. We want to win that match,” Skerla concluded.
The second leg will take place in Vilnius on 30 July.
Source: https://fkzalgiris.lt/a-skerla-po-nesekmes-tbilisyje-turime-parodyti-charakteri/
