Anderlecht head coach Vitor Bruno commented on his team's 3-0 victory over Kairat in the first leg of the Europa League playoff, expressing respect for the opponent and noting the challenging pitch conditions, as reported by infohub.kz.
The first meeting between the teams in the qualifying round of the Europa League playoffs took place at the Central Stadium in Almaty and ended 3-0 in favor of the visitors. All goals were scored before halftime.
"I strongly disagree that our tie is decided. This is football. We know many examples of teams coming back, for instance, from 1-4. When it seemed the result was set after the first leg, but the situation changed. We respect Kairat, and it will be the same in the second leg. We prepared for this match. Due to difficult logistics, we didn't have much time for full preparation. But the players gave their maximum. We knew how to hurt Kairat, how to exploit their weaknesses. After three goals in the first half, I told the players to keep pushing because the match was still going. In the second leg, things could be different—we start from scratch," Bruno said.
The 43-year-old Portuguese specialist also addressed the quality of the pitch. The turf at the Central Stadium in Almaty suffered significantly after a Kanye West concert held on August 14.
"We all want the best conditions for players to achieve their maximum. But we work with what we have. My players tried to adapt and gave their all—I'm grateful to them for that. On such a pitch, it was important to stay careful and focused. Sometimes it required several touches instead of one, but I think our team handled it," Bruno said.
The return match between Kairat and Anderlecht will take place on August 27 in Brussels. The winner over two legs will advance to the Europa League group stage. The loser will compete in the Conference League group stage.