Marsaxlokk target satisfactory result against Slaven

Marsaxlokk want to leave a good impression this evening when playing Croatia's Slaven Koprivnica in the UEFA Cup first qualifying round, first leg at the National Stadium (kick-off: 8 p.m.).

Marsaxlokk, who qualified for the competition after finishing second in the Premier League last season, know a daunting task awaits them even though they are not discounting their chances of a satisfactory result to leave the tie open before the second leg away.

Peter Hartshorne, Marsaxlokk's team manager, admitted that his team's chances of progressing to the next round are rather bleak given the superior qualities of their opponents. However, he said Marsaxlokk will play their game and target a positive result to keep the qualification issue open ahead of the Croatia trip on July 31.

"Slaven Koprivnica are no powerhouse in club football but they are still the favourites," he said.

"It was very difficult for us to gather enough information on our opponents. However, one only has to look at the progress of Croatian football over the years to realise what a big challenge awaits us. We're expecting a team that relies on technique and speed. It's important to settle down quickly to foil their hopes of an early breakthrough.

"Qualification is a tough proposal for us but our target is to try and keep the tie open before the second leg. Our players have prepared well in the past three weeks and I'm confident that we will be up to the task."

For Slaven Koprivnica, also known as Slaven Belupo, this will be their second trip to Malta as in 2004 they were drawn against Hibs in the Intertoto Cup, winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Nicknamed "The Pharmacists", Slaven qualified for the UEFA Cup after finishing second in the Croatian league, a staggering 28 points behind champions Dinamo Zagreb.

Their team is made up mostly of young players with their most popular being striker Bojan Vrucina. Last season, he was on loan with Bundesliga team Duisburg.

Slaven reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup last year after ousting Albania's KS Teuta 8-4 on aggregate. However, they were then beaten by Turkish giants Galatasaray 4-2 over two legs.

In the build-up to the UEFA Cup, Slaven drew 0-0 with Romanian side Universitae Craiova in a friendly.

Marsaxlokk coach Brian Talbot has almost a full complement at his disposal with the exception of defender William Camenzuli.

Camenzuli is serving a one-match ban he received two years ago when he was still on the books of Birkirkara after he was sent off in a 2-2 draw against B36 Torshavn in the Champions League.

He was not included in the Stripes' squad for the 2007 Intertoto Cup match against NK Maribor and, therefore, the ban is still pending.

In their pre-season, Marsaxlokk played in the Euro Challenge Cup where they finished third after losing to Birkirkara 1-0 before holding champions Valletta to a 2-2 draw.

Hartshorne said Marsaxlokk's performances were encouraging. He is hoping that the players will show further progress against Slaven.

"In the Euro Challenge Cup, the team was quite good even though we still have some areas that we need to work on," he said.

"This year we have a very competitive squad, so we can aspire to produce a decent challenge in all competitions. A good showing in these UEFA Cup matches is crucial for us. It could mean a launch-pad for our bid to regain the league championship."