Dinamo plays against Jagiellonia 180 minutes, the most important in the club's history. If the Poles are overcome, then the submarine will qualify for the Conference League group stage for the first time. Tonight, at 20:15, Ilir Daja's team will take to the field for the first play-off match against Jagiellonia Bialystok. After the historic success with the elimination of Hajduk Split, Ilir Daja's blues face another strong rival, who last season reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, only to be eliminated by the finalists Betis.
Dinamo's lineup and Daja's dilemmas
Coach Ilir Daja is forced to make some changes compared to the previous match. Talented midfielder Qefalija remains doubtful after the injury suffered against Hajduk, while Beqja is expected to be activated in his place. Moreover, today the newest addition, Bernard Berisha, will also debut, who will take Zabërgja's place in attack. Daja has high hopes for the former Skënderbeg player, the only one from Dynamo who has played in the groups of a UEFA competition.
Uncle: "We have to get used to being without Mandela and Zabërgja"
In the pre-match press conference, Daja admitted that the loss of two key players, Peter Itodo Mandela and Baton Zabërgja, hurts the team, but added that the team must get used to this reality.
"There are two players who were our best scorers and very important for us. But they are no longer part of the team and we have to get used to that. We will try to replace them as best as possible," said Daja.
He highly praised the Polish opponent: "Jagiellonia is one of the strongest teams in Poland, with a public that is always the 12th player. Clubs that reach the Conference League play-offs are teams that deserve it and one of these is Jagiellonia. To do our job, we have to sacrifice a lot."
The calm optimist, Daja also thinks about returning
Asked about the return match, the Dinamo coach was cautious: "We have all the psychophysical energy for the next match, not for the return match. It also depends on how the result will turn out. If we get a positive result, we will definitely have more fans in Tirana."
Siemieniek: "Dinamo is not a weak team"
On the other hand, Jagiellonia coach Adrian Siemieniek warned that the match against Dinamo will not be easy at all. He emphasized that everything will be decided in two games and not just in the first challenge.
"We know who we are dealing with. The experience we have gained has taught us to be calm and know how to prepare for big matches. Today there is no room for fatigue, we must give everything on the field," said the Polish coach.
He praised Dinamo as an aggressive and courageous team in the game: "Dinamo showed its strength by eliminating Hajduk. It is wrong to see it as a weak team just because it comes from a lesser-known championship. We are prepared for two very difficult matches."