Ante Šimundža is already eyeing the return match after the victory: “It will be tough. We are not the favorites, but we have an advantage. We still have 90 minutes ahead of us”
Photo: Žan Pak
Slovenian clubs have likely recorded their best week in Europe so far. Among them is Maribor, which gained a good advantage against Craiova and simultaneously improved its image after being eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers. Head coach Ante Šimundža was visibly satisfied with his team’s performance at the post-match press conference.
“I think the match was at a European level. Very tough with good dynamics and pace from both sides. We were more concrete. Even with 11 vs. 11, we dominated, and after the red card, we gained a two-goal advantage. That’s not easy. We saw that they are a very good team and well-organized. We played a good first match,” Šimundža said at the outset.
“Craiova is a very dangerous team. A team with good individuals, national team players. It will be tough. We are not the favorites, but we have an advantage. We still have 90 minutes ahead of us. In Romania, we will suffer; we need to be at a European level,” the domestic coach acknowledges the difficulty of the return match.
Šimundža: “This will be a new match, a match at their stadium”
Maribor has gained a good advantage before their visit to Romania, but the purple team should not rely on this, at least according to Šimundža. “That’s a stereotype. Often a 2:0 result turns the other way due to team psychology. When you concede a goal, you are still in the lead. If you don’t think about it, you are not in trouble. This will be a new match, a match at their stadium. If we think that this is enough and that we won’t suffer and be competitive, then this advantage won’t be enough. But if we are aware, and I know we will be, that we will have to suffer and work hard, then it is only a two-goal advantage.”
The game was turned by the situation in the 31st minute, but initially, it seemed that this more motivated the guests rather than the home team, which eventually turned things around in their favor. “A red card affects both teams. We were not calm enough for the rest of the first half. We kept pushing and searching for the final pass for a goal. We scored from an offside position. There was a lack of composure. We were in contact with older players. Psychologically, this affected the team. But it’s good that we were more organized in the second half, grinding it out and getting two very important goals.”
After last week’s match against Botev, where there was a lot to discuss, the coach of the Styrian pride was visibly pleased with his team’s performance. “Today we are completely satisfied. What we aimed for was achieved today. Against Botev, we were at a disadvantage in duels; this time it was better. We adapted to the excellent referee and the toughness of the opponent and the match. We were at the level of the game and a high level of competition.”
“No. We didn’t want to rush and look for a goal at all costs. Patience was key. At the end of the first half, we were not patient; in the second half, it was completely different. The opponent only created one cross and a header. But we didn’t think about not conceding a goal and sacrificing attacking play,” the 52-year-old commented on the reaction to the advantage of playing with an extra player.
At Kalvarija, there have unfortunately been some injury issues this season. This time, the pillar of the home defense left the field in pain. “Sven (Šoštarič Karič) got a knock in the first half, so he already felt pain during the break. Then it was okay, but he stepped awkwardly. We will see what happens after a night’s sleep and what the diagnosis shows.”
Šimundža trusted Etienne Beugre with a starting spot, who received sad news before the match, but the 23-year-old forward still chose to help the team. “Excellent performance. European performance. It was important that he held the ball, and he was involved in the red card situation. He showed the potential we expect from him. I hope that over time, when things settle down, he will take another step forward.”
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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