Watch: Spartans coach Modica rues missed chances but says nothing is impossible ahead of second leg

Ħamrun Spartans coach Giacomo Modica was left to rue his team’s missed scoring opportunies in his team’s 2-0 defeat against FK Zalgiris but warned that in football nothing is impossible and the Malta champions will try to turn things around in Tuesday’s second leg at the Centenary Stadium.

The Spartans put on a fighting display against FK Zalgiris in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, first leg tie in Zalgiris but their failure to convert their scoring chances came back to haunt them as second-half goals from Liviu Antal and Hassim Hadji put the Lithuanians in a strong position ahead of next week’s second leg.

“ It’s a huge disappointment as we had more than four clear scoring opportunities to go ahead and may be the match would have taken a different path,” the Italian coach said.

“But that is the beauty of football as when you commit so many mistakes you end up being punished undeservedly, because we were playing a great match and there is the added disappointment of conceding the second goal which we could have easily avoided.

“We not only could have taken the lead throughout the match but we suffered the second goal that complicates a bit our situation.”

Despite being two goals behind, Modica has no intention of throwing the towel and has urged his players to approach the second match with tranquility and with the determination to fight back in Tuesday’s second leg.

“I don’t think that we are in a desperate situation and we can turn things around,” Modica said.

“Now we have witnessed at first-hand what kind of team FK Zalgiris are. It’s important now to approach the second match with tranquility, a lot of patience, we will lick our wounds for what it could be.

“I have nothing criticise my players, apart from the way we conceded the second goal, and that we weren’t clinical enough to kill off the game as we had many scoring opportunities.

“When you play in a competiton like this and you are playing away from home and create five scoring chances, one of these chances you have to put it into the back of the net.

“Still, the players have expressed good football, showed a lot of belief, and there is a great disposition from them to maximise their potential. We have been only a month together and there is still a lot of work still to be done with some players that came after others but there is a lot of willingness to succeed.

“Now it’s important that we are ready to go again as nothing is impossible and everything can happen and I am convinced that in the return match we will going to put on a great performance.”