FK Kauno Žalgiris head coach Željko Sopic admitted his side fell well short of expectations in last week’s 0-5 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb but believes his players must show a much braver performance when the teams meet again on Tuesday evening at Darius and Girėnas Stadium.
The Lithuanian champions return home trailing 0-5 from the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie, but Sopic emphasized that the second leg is still an important opportunity for both the players and the club.
“Tomorrow we play against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. We know the result in Zagreb was not good. Honestly, we had to show much more than we did,” Sopic admitted.
“I know Dinamo Zagreb are on another level. They will probably play in the Champions League this season, they invest a lot of money every year and they have had the same core of players together for two or three seasons. But that is not a reason why we cannot show a better performance or play better football.”
The Croatian coach once again took responsibility for the team’s display in the first leg. “When we speak about the team’s performance, I always look at myself first. I ask what I can do better and how I can fight better for this club. Sometimes it is not easy.”
Sopcć felt his side competed reasonably well during the opening stages in Zagreb before the game slipped away from them. “I think the first 30 minutes were not so bad. We didn’t create much going forward, but it’s not easy when you play against a team like Dinamo Zagreb.”
He also pointed out that facing such high-level opposition is part of the club’s long-term development. “We could have had an easier path, but instead we are playing Dinamo Zagreb and, if we don’t qualify, probably Besiktas next. These are the matches where we can learn lessons and show that we want this club to improve year by year. That’s why this game is very important.”
Asked whether he still believed his players had shown too much respect for Dinamo after saying they looked a little bit scared in the first leg, Sopic stood by his assessment. “In my team everybody can make mistakes. I don’t have a problem with mistakes,” he said.
“My problem is when somebody is afraid because he thinks making a mistake is the biggest problem.”
The 50-year-old wants his players to play with confidence in front of their home supporters.
“Tomorrow we must enjoy the game. We have to give everything and show our supporters that we want to become better. Of course, we are playing against a very good opponent who will do everything to beat us, but I believe we will play a better match than we did in Zagreb and produce a performance our supporters can be proud of.”
Sopic also expects Dinamo Zagreb to field their strongest available line-up despite holding a commanding five-goal advantage.
“I expect them to play with their first XI because European matches are very important, especially for clubs at Dinamo’s level. Every coefficient point matters because it helps them qualify directly for European competitions in future seasons. I think collecting those points is one of the main objectives for every club competing in Europe.”
