Julio Velázquez, the head coach of Sofia's Levski, commented on his team's victory over Almaty's Kairat in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The Spanish specialist stated that his team fully deserved the result and could have achieved a more convincing advantage before the return leg, reports infohub.kz.
"I am very happy. We played a great match, a very good match. We absolutely deserved to win. I think we could have finished the game with a more comfortable scoreline," Velázquez's words are quoted by the Bulgarian club's press service.
Velázquez specifically noted the level of the Almaty team and highly praised his players' performance. "Our opponent played in the group stage of this tournament last season. That's why I especially appreciate how my players performed. I am extremely proud of them," said the Levski coach.
The Spaniard also highlighted the atmosphere at the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, where fans actively supported the hosts throughout the match. "I am extremely grateful for the wonderful atmosphere created by our fans at the stadium. Now we need to recover and think about Friday's match against Lokomotiv Plovdiv," Velázquez noted.
The Levski head coach emphasized that he does not intend to regret that his team failed to increase their lead before the return leg. "I always try to stay positive. I have never liked to regret anything in my life, and I don't regret anything now. It couldn't be any other way. With these players, with these fans, and with this performance. They gave us a wonderful European evening. We must continue in the same spirit," Velázquez concluded.
Recall that the match in Sofia ended 1-0 in favor of the hosts. Levski dominated for most of the match and registered 13 shots, while Kairat did not have a single attempt. The only goal came in the 90+2nd minute: after a shot from Serginho from outside the box, the ball ricocheted off Aleksandr Martynovich into the net behind Temirlan Anarbekov.
The return match between Kairat and Levski will take place on August 11 in Turkistan. The winner of the tie will compete for a place in the Champions League group stage against Greek club AEK. The loser will drop into the Europa League qualifying and will face either another Greek club, PAOK, or Belgian side Anderlecht.