A 5-2 defeat to FK Sarajevo in the first leg has undermined Hibs’ chances of reaching the second qualifying round of the Europa League but coach Michael Woods is hoping that his players channel their frustration at the ‘unjust’ result into a spirited performance in today’s home match (kick-off 19.30).
Last week, Hibs stunned Sarajevo as Jean Paul Farrugia and Rodolfo Soares found the net in the first half which ended two-all.
But, the Paolites suffered a double setback early in the second period when they finished with 10 men after Soares was sent off for a professional foul and Zarko Kara-matic scored from the ensuing penalty.
“The result of the first leg is misleading as it doesn’t provide a fair reflection of our performance,” Woods told The Times ahead of today’s match at the Hibs Stadium.
“My biggest regret is that we conceded goals in crucial moments of the match.
“The 5-2 loss has made our task more difficult but nothing is impossible.
“Our first objective is not to concede. We managed to score away and there is no reason why we shouldn’t do the same at home.”
Just as Soares’s dismissal in last week’s match at the Asim Ferha-tovic Hase Stadium had a decisive impact on the game, Woods is hoping that Hibs benefit from a match-turning episode this time around.
“Our showing in the first leg has given us a lot of confidence,” Woods said.
“Episodes can change the course of a game just as Soares’s sending-off in Bosnia swayed the balance of the tie in our opponents’ favour.”
Soares’s red card rules him out of today’s match.
Woods acknowledged that Soares, widely regarded as one of the strongest defenders in the Premier League, will be missed but he’s confident that his replacement will be up to the task.
“Rodolfo is a key player, one of the best defenders in the Premier League,” Woods said.
“Important players are always missed but I believe that his replacement will do well for us.”
Hibs will again be without Clayton Failla who is on honey-moon. The newly-crowned MFA footballer of the year also missed last week’s trip to Bosnia ahead of his wedding which took place on Saturday.
Defender Jonathan Pearson is still sidelined with injury.
Although impressed by the physical strength of the Sarajevo players, Woods believes that Hibs can cause their defence problems.
“Sarajevo are very strong but in defence, they are not impregnable,” Woods said.
“They have some new players from last season but from what I’ve seen, they have yet to settle.”
The Hibs coach has called on the supporters to give the team a much-needed push today.
“We will enjoy home advantage but we need our fans to give us a boost,” Woods said.
“Last week, Sarajevo had their fans behind them and I hope ours will do the same for us here.”
The winner of this tie will meet Levski Sofia in the next round.
Levski Sofia’s assistant coach is expected to fly to Malta today to watch the Hibs-Sarajevo second leg which will be controlled by Hungarian referee Adam Nemeth.
Talbot accepts role
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Brian Talbot has reached agreement with Hibernians to become their technical director on a part-time basis.
Talbot, who steered the Paola team to back-to-back championships in the 1990s, will combine his duties at Hibs with his main job as chief scout of English Premier League outfit Fulham.
The experienced manager, who also led Marsaxlokk to their first and only league title in 2006-07, began his job with Hibs last month and also travelled with the squad for last week’s match against Sarajevo.