The coach of Vojvodina Božidar Bandović and the team captain, Njegoš Petrović are optimistic before the first duel with the team of NK Maribor.

Players of the Old Lady will play against the team of Maribor on Thursday, at 8:15 pm at Ljudski vrt stadium in Maribor, in the first match of the 3rd qualification round for the Conference League.

  • This is a very significant match for both teams, but this is only the first halftime. Maribor has high-quality individual players, you can see the tactical ideas of the coach, that they want to organize their game from the last line. We have to be prepared for anything, and the way that we will play pressing. They make surplus in the middle, with two full-back midfielders, and Iličić, who is particularly dangerous when he has the ball on his left foot. We have to find answers to all of that. They like to play high and to play pressing. It will be a difficult game, but I believe in my team, patience and discipline to make a favorable result, that would mean a lot to us. Everyone is ready, aside from Aleksa Vukanović, we will perform our last training session before the match, and we are ready for tomorrow’s game – Božidar Bandović said.

 

Team captain, Njegoš Petrović, agreed with the coach.

  • We are facing an especially difficult match in front of their fans. The team knows what they want at every moment. We analyzed them, saw their strong sides, and drawbacks. We will try to use this in the best possible way. It is the crossroads for the continuation of the season. These two upcoming duels are even more serious than Ajax, we are entirely ready for this match – Petrović pointed out.

For the coach of Vojvodina, the positive result is victory, because Vojvodina is always going for the triumph, but he pinpoints that it all depends on the flow of the match.

  • We are Vojvodina and we are always playing to win, with all due respect to the rival. Of course, it will depend on plenty of factors, and the flow of the match. Our goal is certainly to win if that is possible – Bandović said.

Petrović highlighted that Vojvodina FC must up their level, and be better than in the duels with Ajax AFC.

  • I cannot say that the rhythm from the Johan Cruyff Arena would be enough, because we have to go a step further if we want to win against Maribor – Petrović pinpointed.

 

Both Bandović and Petrović highlight that the defeats against Ajax and Čukarički will not demotivate the team on their path to the goal.

  • The club, the players and I as a coach, won’t allow that to happen. We nurture the winners’ mentality and overcoming the obstacles, you have to be strong and brave, and move on to the next step. We are preparing for the match, and don’t think about the past, we learn from our mistakes, and regardless of the victory or defeat, for the next match we always prepare the same. Neither I nor the players will allow any kind of fall.

 

Petrović added that for them every rival is the same.

  • The pressure is neither bigger nor lesser. We go into each game in the same manner, and we observe every rival the same. We go in with the same energy, and I would love it if you could be with us in the dressing room, because then you would see this. We try to be ourselves and work on the matches, apply things that we do during our training sessions, and give our maximum at each game – Petrović concluded.

The match against Maribor is scheduled for Thursday at 8 pm, and the live broadcast will be on the Slovenian channel Sportklub.