Maribor to play Gibraltar in UEFA Youth Champions League return leg: No miscalculation despite big advantage
Photo: NK Maribor
Wednesday and Thursday will be heavily European tinged in Slovenian club football as well. It will begin on Wednesday at 16:30 when Celje plays its first-ever European league match in history, facing Vitoria in Portugal. Half an hour later, the stadium in Kidričevo will come to life as Maribor hosts the return match of the Champions League for youth, while Olimpija will be in Germany on Thursday to take on Heidenheim. While the senior teams fight for points, the Maribor youth will play for advancement. They have already secured this, as the Štajerski side won their first match in Gibraltar with a score of 6-0.
However, despite Maribor’s enormous advantage before the return match against Lincoln Red Imps, the team’s coach Radovan Karanović warns his players that they must also perform at the highest possible level in the return leg.
“The warning was already given by our league defeat against Domžale,” emphasized Radovan Karanović on the club’s website, adding: “There will be no carelessness or recklessness, as every match represents a new proving ground. We are in a tight schedule, the boys have many club and national team obligations, but our sufficiently wide squad allows for the rotation of playing time. Regardless of the starting point, our plans remain unchanged; I expect a serious approach and confirmation of advancement with another victory.”
Ukrainians are already waiting for Maribor
Maribor has some minor issues before the match, which can be watched live for free (tickets can be picked up at the Vijol’čna hut or at the stadium box office before the match), but these should not affect the balance of power on the pitch. “We have some minor injury issues, but they are not serious. I hope that all the boys who are expected to play will be available. The result from the first match also allows us certain rotation options, so the lineup will be somewhat different than in Gibraltar,” added Radovan Karanović.
If Maribor advances—otherwise, we would be talking about a miracle of epic proportions, which we can safely say is simply not possible—they will face a significantly tougher challenge in the next round. The winner of the match will take on Kyiv’s Dynamo.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet