Valdas Dambrauskas: “It’s a good result, but the job isn’t done yet”

“Sabah” played its first match in the UEFA Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round. Our team secured a 2–0 away win over “Petrocub”. After the game, our head coach Valdas Dambrauskas shared his thoughts:

“It was a very tough match. Our opponent had already played seven games before this one. We analyzed them well based on those matches. So, we had enough material to study them. We didn’t come here just to defend or look for chances on the counterattack. Our aim was to show our own style of play on the pitch and control the game.

Of course, there were ups and downs during the match, especially in the first half. At times, we couldn’t fully display what we intended. In the second half, particularly in the first 5–7 minutes, we faced some difficulties. There are still many aspects we need to improve.

After scoring, we managed to close out the game very well. Even though the opponent tried to put pressure on us, we were able to control possession and find the open man — and that’s the style I want my team to play.

Winning away in Europe is very important. We kept a clean sheet and scored two goals — it’s a good result, but the job isn’t done yet. In two-legged ties, nothing is ever decided in the first match. Now we’ll return home and start preparing for the second leg.”

Note: The second leg will be played on July 31 at Bank Respublika Arena.