Hapoel Tel Aviv face Atalanta in the second leg of the Conference League playoff round on Thursday after playing to a goalless draw in the first leg that was held in Bergamo, Italy. As the Reds prepare for action at their home away from home in Miskolc, Hungary, Head Coach Eliyaniv Barda, spoke at a press conference ahead of the match.

“We’re coming into this game after a 0-0 draw away from home. We know we’ll need to win in order to advance to the next round. We know how difficult it will be and what kind of opponent we’re facing. They’re a very, very high-level team. They opened their league campaign with a win, but we’ll try to continue doing the things we do.

On the interest in Stav Turiel among some of Italy’s club, Barda added, “It’s very flattering for us that Serie A clubs are interested in our players. As for Thursday, we have a training session, then we’ll assess everyone, see what kind of physical condition he is in, and make a decision. When you look at Atalanta’s squad and players, their value and quality, I think they are even favorites to win the competition. We are the modest team with our own ambitions, and we’ll try to do everything we can to succeed and qualify for the Conference League.

“Regarding Emmanuel Boateng’s availability due to injury, we’ll do the same as with Stav. We’ll have the training session, hopefully he’ll be able to complete the entire session, and we’ll make a decision about him in the morning. As for the game, there are things we need to improve, along with many things we did well. We understand that we’ll need an almost perfect performance tomorrow in order to qualify for the Conference League.”

Omri Altman also spoke about the challenge in front of the club, “It’s a great source of pride for the club that the fans come everywhere. So many of them came to Bergamo as well, and I’m sure that if there had been more tickets available, even more would have come. I’m sure there will be an electric, home-like atmosphere, and we’ll feel it from the very first minute. The postponed league game? I think it could go either way, but it was the right decision to get proper rest before such an important game for us. I’m sure the entire squad will arrive ready, both physically and mentally, for the match.

“It’s completely normal for us. From the very first second we step onto the pitch, the fans give us a tremendous sense of energy, lift us up and push us forward. It’s something we’re used to, and I’m sure Atalanta will feel it from the first minute as well. What’s the plan? To be better than we were last week, because we didn’t win last week. This time, we need to win in order to advance, so all the energy and aggression we showed last week need to be taken up another level. It will certainly be a more difficult game, Atalanta will come prepared, and we’ll need to raise our level.”