Žalgiris Coach: Hajduk Showed Us How Football Should Be Played
Andrius Skerla did not hide his admiration for the Split side after the 5-2 defeat in Vilnius, singling out Rokas Pukštas and vowing to fight in the return leg.
Andrius Skerla did not hide his admiration for the Split side after the 5-2 defeat in Vilnius, singling out Rokas Pukštas and vowing to fight in the return leg.
Hajduk thrashed Žalgiris 5-2 (2-1) in Vilnius on Thursday evening in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. The Split side thus ended a painful six-year streak without an away win in European competitions, and the home coach, Andrius Skerla, did not spare words of praise for the opponent after the match.
The hero of the evening was Michele Šego, who found the back of the net twice. First from the penalty spot in the fifth minute, and then with a free-kick goal in the 44th minute. Šego had a chance to convert a second penalty in the 14th minute, but goalkeeper Šarkauskas saved his effort. In the second half, Adrion Pajaziti (56'), Dalisson de Almeida (73'), and Rokas Pukštas all scored. The minute of Pukštas's goal varies by source: 24sata records the 74th minute, while Index cites the 75th.
Coach Skerla did not look for excuses in his team's poor performance at the press conference, but rather assessed the balance of power realistically. "First of all, thanks to all our fans who came to the stadium today. This was a tough match. Even though we lost, we felt their support. Hajduk is a very strong team. We saw the difference in quality between them and us. They scored a couple of fantastic goals. The result didn't go our way, but we can take some positives from this defeat. Hajduk punished our defensive errors," Skerla said.
The Lithuanian tactician is aware that his team came up against a superior opponent, but he believes there is room for improvement. "We can play better, but we also need a bit of luck, which you can't always rely on. We played against a much stronger team that was focused from the start and didn't underestimate us," he added.
Skerla singled out one player from the Whites in particular. "Pukštas is a very good player. He understands football and knows how to find space. He almost always makes good decisions with the ball. But it's not just him. Hajduk has plenty of players who showed us how football should be played," he praised the Split midfielder.
Despite the heavy defeat, the Žalgiris coach has not completely given up on the tie. He is aware that the return leg at Poljud in a week's time is almost an impossible mission, but he promises a fight. "We will try to surprise them in Split," Skerla said.
For the home side in Vilnius, goals came from Nikola Petković (35') and former Hajduk player Marko Capan (86'), which at least slightly softened the blow of their team's heavy defeat.
