Maccabi Tel Aviv will host side Lugano on Thursday in Batumi, Georgia in the decisive second leg of the Conference League playoff as they trail 2-1 from the first meeting. Head coach Kenny Miller shared his thoughts ahead of the match, addressing the congested fixture schedule and the enormous importance of the yellow-and-blue supporters who will be there to back the team.

“We’re coming into the game in a very good place, especially after the excellent performance and very good result we achieved in the league last Sunday,” Miller began. “We learned a great deal from the first game last week. Being 2-1 down after the away leg is not a bad result for us, although we were disappointed with the final result and the goals we conceded there. We feel ready, we’ve prepared well and we’re really looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”

The coach was asked about the limited time available for the staff to prepare the team, “The schedule over the past few weeks has been extremely busy, with very quick turnarounds between the Toto Cup, league matches and European games. That said, we’ve had enough time to make sure we’re fully prepared. We only faced Lugano a week ago, so we know the opponent standing in front of us very well and understand exactly what we need to do better on the pitch.”

Regarding the squad situation, Miller said, “We still have a number of injured players who will be unavailable, but the situation is no different from what we dealt with last week. We’re coming into the game in good shape, following a very strong performance at the start of the week, and ready to do everything we can to win this match.”

Miller also addressed the expected return of Maccabi’s supporters to the stands in Batumi, “It’s true that this isn’t Bloomfield Stadium and that’s something we’ve had to accept and get used to throughout our European campaign this season. But it will be great to have our fans back with us. Even in the match against Sheriff, the supporters who came made the stadium feel much more like home and created a real football atmosphere with their noise and support. I keep saying that we never take that support for granted, the effort they make and the journeys they go through to support the team are exceptional. Their support will be crucial for us.”

To conclude, the coach emphasized the magnitude of the occasion, “Of course, we have a great opportunity here to secure qualification for the league phase of a European competition. Every single player in the squad understands exactly what is at stake and we’ll be ready for the challenge.”