Hellish 40 Degrees in Rijeka
Rijeka hosts Finnish Ilves at Rujevica tonight in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round, and reporter Boris Jovičić reveals the atmosphere just hours before kickoff.
Rijeka hosts Finnish Ilves at Rujevica tonight in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round, and reporter Boris Jovičić reveals the atmosphere just hours before kickoff.
Rijeka's footballers continue their European journey tonight. In the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round, they will host Finnish side Ilves from Tampere at Rujevica. The match kicks off at 8:45 PM, with exclusive coverage on RTL and the VOYO platform.
A few hours before the match, reporter Boris Jovičić reported from Rujevica, highlighting that both teams will struggle with the weather conditions. "Today in Rijeka, it was 40 degrees. It will drop slightly by kickoff, but nothing significant," Jovičić reported for Net.hr.
The situation for the Finnish visitors is particularly interesting. "The Finns come from Tampere with a pleasant 25 degrees. They arrived in Venice before Rijeka and experienced a shock," the reporter revealed. According to him, the Finns themselves admit that the heat will be a major challenge and that they see themselves as underdogs in this tie.
Rijeka's coach Matjaž Kek is aware of the opponent's strength. As Jovičić reports, the Slovenian tactician does not expect the tie to be decided tonight at Rujevica, although that would be desirable. "Ilves is an extremely strong home team. Last season they beat AZ, and two years ago they beat Austria Vienna," the reporter emphasized, noting that the Finns are no pushovers.
Rijeka are in good form at the start of the season. In the second qualifying round, they overcame Northern Ireland's Derry City, and alongside their European victories, they also won their domestic league opener. They want to continue their positive run against Ilves.
For those still on the fence, Jovičić has good news. "Tickets are still available, and Rijeka has made an adjustment. For anyone who decides to attend today, prices remain the same as in presale," he said. If Rijeka get past Ilves, they will face the winner of the tie between Irish side Bohemians and Danish side Midtjylland in the Conference League playoff round.
Split's Hajduk are also in European action tonight, away in Lithuania against Žalgiris Vilnius.
