Dantas: Artificial turf is no excuse, we're going to win in Finland
Rijeka midfielder Tiago Dantas has announced the Conference League return leg against Ilves in Tampere, where his team will defend a narrow 1-0 lead.
Rijeka midfielder Tiago Dantas has announced the Conference League return leg against Ilves in Tampere, where his team will defend a narrow 1-0 lead.
Rijeka's footballers play the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Finnish side Ilves in Tampere on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The first match at Rujevica ended in a 0:1 victory for Rijeka, and midfielder Tiago Dantas says his team must maintain maximum focus.
The Portuguese midfielder, who has established himself as one of the key players since arriving at Rijeka, is aware of the challenge that awaits them at the Tammela Stadium in Tampere. "I think it will be a very tough match, but we have to play as if it's 0:0," Dantas said for Fiuman.hr.
The main topic in recent days has been the artificial turf on which the match in Finland will be played. "It's different; we had one training session to adapt. There's a big difference between playing on natural grass and artificial turf. Of course, that's no excuse; we're going to win," Dantas added.
Dantas took a painful knock in the first match at Rujevica, but he will be ready for Thursday. The midfielder believes in the quality of his team and in advancing to the next stage of the competition. "We've analyzed the opponent; we know what we could have done better compared to the last match. I fully believe we have the quality and the way to beat the opponent and go through to the next phase of the Conference League," Dantas concluded.
On the other hand, Finnish media are optimistic ahead of Rijeka's visit. Aamulehti considers 0:1 an excellent result after a fierce defensive display and notes that Rijeka, despite being dominant, scored only one goal.
SuomiFutis is more direct, claiming that Ilves were in serious trouble, mentioning 11 saves by goalkeeper Faris Krkalić, nine corners for Rijeka, and only one shot on target for the Finns. Nevertheless, the portal concludes that the Tammela Stadium changes the picture of the tie, as Ilves are one goal away from extra time and two from a complete turnaround.
Iltalehti also notes the very poor statistics from the first match but considers 0:1 a result that gives Tampere a real chance to overturn the tie in front of their fans. Vedonlyönti.com gives the most concrete preview, expecting a much more aggressive start from the hosts, an advantage for Ilves on the familiar artificial turf, and a more dynamic match with more goals. It also warns that Rijeka's superiority in play was evident and that an away goal is very likely.
The common stance of Finnish media is that Rijeka still has the better team, but they missed the opportunity to settle things at Rujevica. Ilves therefore believes that with the support from the Tammela stands, a faster tempo, and a bolder start, they can overcome the deficit, although they will need to be significantly more dangerous in attack than in the first match.
