Levski midfielder Serginho, who scored the only goal against Kairat in the first match of the third qualifying round of the Champions League, summed up the meeting. According to him, the Bulgarian team was determined to win from the start, reports infohub.kz.
"It was a tough match, but we were determined to win from the very beginning. We played a very good game, and this victory is absolutely deserved. A match lasts 90 minutes, and sometimes a bit longer, but we always take the field only for victory," Serginho is quoted as saying by Sports.kz.
Serginho noted that the desire to play for victory is a common instruction for Levski, instilled by head coach Julio Velázquez.
"We have an incredibly united team. We always play only for victory. The head coach conveys this attitude to us. He thinks only about the upcoming match, and we follow the same approach," the footballer said.
At the same time, Levski is not fully focused on the return match against Kairat yet. Before traveling to Kazakhstan, the Bulgarian team has to play a match in the national championship.
"There is a very important game ahead, which we must win. First we need to win on Friday, and then strive to beat Kairat," Serginho added.
Recall that the meeting in Sofia ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the hosts. Levski had the advantage for most of the match and made 13 shots, while Kairat did not have a single attempt. The only goal was scored in the 90+2nd minute: after Serginho's shot from outside the box, the ball ricocheted off Aleksandr Martynovich into the net past Temirlan Anarbekov.
The return match between Kairat and Levski will take place on August 11 in Turkestan. The winner of the tie will compete for a spot in the Champions League group stage against Greek club AEK. The loser will drop into the Europa League qualifying and will play either against another Greek club PAOK or Belgian Anderlecht.