Hibernians FC will go out in search of a win that would see them seal their place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League at the expense of Estonian side Levadia Tallinn on Thursday evening (kick-off: 7pm).
The Malta champions hold the edge in the second qualifying round tie after securing a 3-2 win over the Estonian side at the Centenary Stadium last week.
However, coach Andrea Pisanu is not ready to take any chances and is urging his players to go out for the kill in Tallinn this evening as they look to set up a third qualifying tie against Latvian champions RFS.
“We may be leading the tie 3-2 but that has little significance for me,” Pisanu said.
“European ties are decided over 180 minutes and although we hold a slight advantage we have no plan to take the pitch for the second leg with the intention to defend our lead, it’s not in my character.
“The goal is simple – we are going out to win the match. I don’t want my team to bide it’s time and see how things develop. We need to take control of the match and try to express our football.
“It’s not going to be easy and I’m expecting a very tough challenge from Levadia Tallinn, but I can assure you that we will make it difficult for them.”
Last week’s first match provided a lot of encouraging signs to Hibernians, as for long spells of the match the Malta champions were in dominant form and could have easily raced into a commanding three-goal lead in the first half had they been more precise in front of goal.
Pisanu is likely to bank on the same players that started last week’s first leg, although Nigerian forward Yunusa Muritala, who scored the team’s third goal just a few minutes after coming on as a late substitute, will be pushing for a place in the starting formation.
The Hibernians coach emphasised that his team had their destiny in their hands and he wants to see his players adopt a positive approach.
“Destiny is firmly in our hands and it’s up to us to decide whether we continue our European journey or not,” Pisanu said.
“I want the team to play positive football and when you adopt an attacking approach you will never have any regrets. It’s going to be a difficult match for us, but I repeat we will be tough opponents for them.
“The key for this match is how one will interpret the match. I want my team to show personality and that can make a difference on the day.
“So, it’s important that we go out and play our game and whatever happens we will return home with our heads held high.”
