Floriana FC coach Daniel Portela has urged his players to rediscover their identity as the Maltese champions prepare to face FC Drita in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League tonight, with kick-off scheduled for 7.30pm.
The Greens enter the tie looking to bounce back from a disappointing exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Shamrock Rovers.
Last week, Floriana appeared to be on course for progression when they travelled to Dublin holding a two-goal advantage from the first leg. However, their hopes were dashed as Shamrock Rovers produced a dominant display to secure a 5-1 victory and advance 5-3 on aggregate.
Portela admitted that his side fell short in Ireland and emphasised the need for his players to return to the style of play that brought them success domestically.
โI believe that Floriana must recover its playing identity for this game,โ Portela told reporters.
โAgainst Shamrock Rovers, especially in the second leg, we could have done better. There are a lot of lessons that we should take from that match and make sure we play better against Drita.โ
The Portuguese coach expects a highly tactical encounter against the Kosovan side and has called on his players to remain focused from the opening whistle if they are to secure a positive result ahead of the return leg.
Portela will have the advantage of a fully fit squad for tonightโs match.
Club captain Dunstan Vella said the team had recovered well from last weekโs setback and was approaching the match with confidence.
โI believe that we can play on a much higher level than we did against Shamrock Rovers. There is a lot of belief and hopefully we can deliver a strong performance against Drita.โ
Drita FC arrive for the tie after failing to repeat last seasonโs historic run in the Champions League qualifiers. Last summer, Drita became the first club from Kosovo to progress in UEFAโs elite club competition after defeating Differdange 03 4-2 on aggregate.
The Kosovan champions went on to reach the league phase of the Conference League, again overcoming Differdange in the play-off round.
This season, however, Drita suffered disappointment after being eliminated from the Champions League by Lithuanian side Kauno ลฝalgiris 4-3 on aggregate.
Should Floriana overcome Drita, they will have a favourable opportunity to continue their European campaign, having been drawn against Tre Fiori of San Marino in the third qualifying round draw held yesterday.
Meanwhile, Valletta FC will begin their European adventure on Thursday with an away fixture against Polish side Rakรณw Czฤstochowa.
If the Citizens progress, they will face an even sterner challenge in the next round against either Swedish club Hammarby IF or Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht.
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