Carver: I Can’t wait for this match

On Friday, March 6, Lechia Gdańsk will host league leaders Jagiellonia Białystok at Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk. Here is what head coach John Carver said during the pre-match press conference.

Jagiellonia arrive in Gdańsk after strong performances in the Conference League:

„I watched both of Jagiellonia’s matches against Fiorentina, and the difference between them was like night and day. Jagiellonia’s first half in Florence was incredible. They deserved to be 3–0 up. They were a bit unlucky not to advance after extra time and not to continue in the competition. This is a top team with a top coach. It’s no coincidence that they are league leaders. They’ve had a great run in Europe and played some excellent matches. They competed on equal terms with one of the top Italian teams. We know what kind of challenge this will be. It should also be a good spectacle, because both teams want to play football. Our opponents have very talented players, so in a way we can treat this match as a test to see where we stand. I can’t wait for this game”.

How the White-and-Greens must play on Friday:

„We have to play this match on our terms. I know we will probably have less possession, but we want to make it difficult for them to build their play, just as we did last year. We definitely won’t drop into a deep defensive block. The home win against Jagiellonia last season? You always look back at successful matches. There are some differences, but the coach is the same and many of the players are the same, so the game plan will probably be similar”.

The PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa table is very tight:

„We’ve had pressure here since my first day, but we have to stay calm. The points gap between teams is not very big, and things will keep changing. We need to remain composed. Friday’s match won’t determine anything – it won’t mean we get relegated. This is a longer race”.