Kostanay's Tobol is expecting a tough encounter against Belgrade's Partizan in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Head coach Miroslav Romashchenko and forward Uros Milovanovic shared their expectations for the upcoming match, reports infohub.kz.
Romashchenko noted that Tobol has thoroughly studied their opponent's recent games and is ready for a higher intensity match. "We expect a very difficult game. We have analyzed the opponent's recent matches. I can say that this is a very, very tough team with a good group of attacking players with great potential, individually very strong. The team is very fast and plays well in attack," the coach's words are quoted by the club's press service.
According to the coach, the level of resistance will be significantly higher than in previous matches. "We clearly understand that we will face completely different speeds in the upcoming match, a different intensity. To be competitive in this game, we must match that," the specialist emphasized.
Milovanovic, who is well acquainted with Serbian football, also noted the strength of the opponent but expressed confidence in his own abilities. "We are facing a very strong team. But we believe in our work, in each other, and fully trust the coaching staff. We will try to follow the instructions and achieve victory," the forward said.
The Serbian striker said that his teammates have asked him about Partizan's characteristics. "Playing against Partizan is always difficult. It's a big club, and my teammates have asked me about it. We know who we are playing against. Our task is to justify the trust of the fans, represent the country with dignity, and achieve a positive result," the player added.
Recall that Partizan advanced to the third round by overcoming Luxembourg's UNA Strassen (5-0 on aggregate). Tobol got past Lithuania's Panevezys in the previous round: both matches ended 1-1, and in Kostanay, after extra time, the Kazakh club won the penalty shootout 3-2.
The first match between Partizan and Tobol will take place on the night of August 6-7 in Belgrade, with the return leg on August 13 in Kostanay. The winner of the tie will face Getafe on August 20 and 27.