City aim to complete the job

Progress to the second round of the Europa League is no longer a distant dream but a distinct possibility for Valletta FC.

The Citizens flew into Iceland in the early hours of yesterday highly confident that they can complete the job here after trouncing Keflavik 3-0 in the home leg.

Given that Valletta only need to avoid a defeat by three goals to secure their place in the next round of this competition, coach Ton Caanen could be forgiven for adopting a prudent approach tonight but ultra-defensive tactics are not an option for the Dutchman.

"Our tactics will be the same as in the first leg," Caanen told The Times ahead of this evening's tie at Keflavikurvollur, Keflavik's compact stadium.

"I intend to stick to the same approach because it worked for us before. Our win was thoroughly deserved because we were the better team last week and that's why I see no reason why I should change tactics.

"Keflavik will try everything to get back into contention but this is the beauty of European football and I'm looking forward to the match. I will encourage the players to enjoy themselves."

Judging by Caanen's words, it is safe to assume that his starting XI will be the same as in the first leg.

Valletta will play 4-3-3 with Doding Priso and Dyson Falzon providing support for chief striker Geert den Ouden from the wings.

All three Valletta forwards were on target in the first leg as Caanen's men ran rings around Keflavik to strengthen their chances of setting up a second round showdown with St Patrick's, of Ireland.

Over-confidence is often cited as the main hazard for teams buoyed by a resounding win in the first leg but Caanen is not overly concerned.

"I don't see why we should feel overconfident going into this match but at the same time, there's no point hiding the fact that Valletta do have a good chance of reaching the next round," he remarked.

"I want the team to continue where they left off in the last five minutes of the first leg. In the final stages of the home match, the players were high on confidence but they didn't lose concentration.

"During the week, I've been telling the players to keep their focus and I think they've received the message.

"In the first leg, the players proved to themselves that if they believe in something, they can achieve their goals.

"Now they are convinced that qualification to the next round is possible. This is a new situation for the team. Before the first match, we had no idea about how far we could go and to be honest, we were not expecting to win 3-0.

"After that result, there is new pressure on the team but I believe that if we reach the same level of performance as in the first leg, we will have a very good chance of going through."

Keflavik, who beat Thor Akoreyri 2-1 in a cup match last weekend, will be hellbent on making amends for their inept showing in Malta last week.

An early goal would go some way towards raising their battered confidence besides reviving their hopes of overturning the 3-0 deficit.

"I'm not sure if Keflavik will try to attack us from the start," Caanen said.

"They will be looking to score a goal in the opening 20 minutes but I think they will try to unsettle us by playing long balls towards their forwards.

"I still expect Keflavik to keep five players in defence because if they try to play attacking football, we could hurt them on the counter."

Caanen has identified Simun Samuelsen as Keflavik's most influential player in midfield.

"In the first leg, Samuelsen was behind Keflavik's best moves," Caanen said.

"He pushed forward when we failed to press him in midfield. Johann Gudmundsson, another midfielder, was not in Keflavik's squad for the first leg but I expect him to play here."

Valletta endured an energy-sapping trip to Iceland on Tuesday as it took them over 15 hours to reach destination.

"We had a long trip but I believe we have enough time to recover," Caanen replied when asked if he was worried about the ill-effects of jet-lag.

Valletta had their first and only training session at the Keflavikurvollur yesterday evening.

Valletta's formation: A. Hogg, R. Briffa, L. Dimech, K. Scicluna, S. Bezzina, J. Pace, J. Cruyff, G. Agius, D. Priso, D. Falzon, G. Den Ouden.

Referee: Mark Whitby (Wales).

Kick-off: 9.15 p.m.