CSKA Sofia Menjamu Derry City di Kualifikasi Liga Europa

Klub Bulgaria CSKA Sofia dijadwalkan menjamu wakil Irlandia Derry City dalam pertandingan leg pertama kualifikasi babak pertama Liga Europa di Stadion Nasional Vasil Levski pada Kamis malam waktu setempat.

Pertandingan ini menandai kembalinya kedua tim ke kompetisi antarklub Eropa, di mana pemenang dari babak ini akan menghadapi Qarabağ FK atau Vestri, sedangkan tim yang kalah bakal turun ke Kualifikasi Liga Konferensi Eropa untuk melawan HNK Rijeka.

CSKA Sofia mengamankan tiket kualifikasi setelah finis di peringkat keempat Parva Liga musim lalu dan memenangkan Piala Bulgaria untuk ke-22 kalinya di bawah asuhan pelatih Hristo Yanev. Tim berjuluk The Reds ini telah melakukan perombakan skuad bernilai total 26,95 juta euro menurut data Transfermarkt, termasuk mendatangkan gelandang asal Italia Stefano Sensi serta penyerang Argentina Santiago Leandro Godoy.

Di sisi lain, Derry City besutan pelatih Tiernan Lynch datang sebagai runner-up League of Ireland musim 2025, meskipun performa domestik mereka saat ini sedang tertahan di peringkat keenam klasemen sementara 2026. Derry City membawa empat pemain baru dalam lawatan ini, termasuk gelandang asal Belanda Nick Twisk dan Ellis Chapman, guna menutupi absennya Adam O'Reilly yang terkena sanksi kartu merah serta Darragh Markey yang cedera.

Bek tengah Derry City, Patrick McClean, mengingat kembali memori saat dirinya menjadi suporter ketika kedua klub terakhir kali bertemu pada musim 2009-2010, di mana sang kakak, James McClean, berada di bangku cadangan saat Derry kalah agregat 2-1.

"James was on the bench," kata Patrick McClean, "they took the lead and Derry equalised, but they won the tie 2-1 after winning the first leg 1-0 in Sofia."

Patrick menyatakan antusiasme skuadnya yang menganggap laga kompetisi Eropa ini sebagai momentum penyegaran di tengah kritik atas performa domestik mereka.

"The boys are all excited and ready to go. These European ties mean we’re putting the league to bed for a month and focusing on something else, giving us a fresh start." ujar Patrick McClean.

Pemain berusia 29 tahun itu menambahkan bahwa fokus utama tim adalah menjaga peluang agar tetap hidup saat melakoni leg kedua di kandang mereka nanti.

"We have to put everything behind us because there has been a lot of negative, and obviously rightly so we’re getting a lot of stick, but if we can go and put a good run together here then we can give the fans something to cheer about, which we haven’t done this season." tutur Patrick McClean.

Derry City bertekad tampil maksimal tanpa meremehkan kekuatan lawan yang memiliki sejumlah pemain berlabel internasional.

"CSKA Sofia were probably the team that we were looking at most and hoping we got them, and that’s no disrespect to them." kata Patrick McClean.

Ia menegaskan kembali pentingnya kedisiplinan dalam pertandingan dua leg ini.

"We know we’re more than capable of getting a result, but it’s just about going there and making sure we keep the tie alive and get back to the Brandywell, where hopefully we’ll have a full house." ucap Patrick McClean.

Klub asal Irlandia tersebut juga tidak mau jemawa menjelang laga tandang yang diperkirakan akan berjalan sengit.

"It’s not a case of us going into this game and thinking we’re going to roll them over and we’ll get into the next round; we’re just focusing on the task in hand and we know they’re going to be a tough team to play against." ujar Patrick McClean.

Persiapan mandiri pun dilakukan oleh sang bek demi meredam agresivitas lini serang Sofia.

"But that’s going to be the case for them playing against us, and then it’s all about who does it over the two legs. We’ve watched them and I’ve been watching some of my own stuff and I’ll obviously be doing my own homework on them as well… they’ve got some good players and some internationals." kata Patrick McClean.

Bagi Patrick, atmosfer kompetisi antarklub Eropa merupakan alasan utama dirinya kembali membela panji Derry City.

"Playing in Europe in these types of games is why I came back to Derry." tutur Patrick McClean.

Evaluasi menyeluruh tetap dilakukan pasca-kekalahan telak dari Waterford di kompetisi lokal akhir pekan lalu.

"We can’t be looking too far ahead and at the same time we can’t be looking at the past and what has happened, because it means nothing and it isn’t going to help us," kata Patrick McClean.

Patrick menegaskan skuadnya siap bangkit bersama untuk memberikan hasil terbaik bagi para pendukung setia.

"We know things haven’t been good enough this season, but we’ve got a chance here now to rally and give the fans something to shout about." ujar Patrick McClean.

Sementara itu, manajer Tiernan Lynch mengakui minimnya informasi mendalam mengenai kekuatan terkini dari CSKA Sofia karena lawan mereka sedang berada di luar kalender kompetisi resmi domestik.

"I think the big thing is and the message I keep trying to get through to the players is probably two-fold," kata Tiernan Lynch dalam konferensi pers sebelum pertandingan.

Lynch meminta anak asuhnya untuk menikmati setiap momen dari pengalaman langka bertanding di level Eropa.

"One, you have to enjoy every minute of these experiences. They don't come around very often so when you get decent ties like this, you have to enjoy it." tutur Tiernan Lynch.

Target realistis dipatok oleh Lynch agar agregat pertandingan tetap seimbang hingga laga penentuan di markas Derry.

"The second message is we have to try and get this tie back to the Brandywell tomorrow night - that's very much what it is about for us." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

Meskipun CSKA Sofia sempat melakoni empat laga uji coba pramusim, Lynch menganggap perombakan skuad yang masif membuat peta kekuatan lawan sulit ditebak.

"It's always difficult when you're going into games and don't know a huge amount about the opposition. We're kind of going off last year but we have to give them all the respect they deserve. At the same time we have to have enough confidence and belief in ourselves as a team that we can bring our game here also." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Strategi permainan Derry City akan dibagi ke dalam beberapa fase adaptasi langsung di lapangan hijau.

"It's one of those situations where it's a suck it and see. You've got to break your game up into segments and try and manage each of those segments." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

Perubahan formasi serta komposisi pemain lawan dalam laga persahabatan memicu tantangan taktis tersendiri bagi staf kepelatihan.

"We've got to watch a couple of friendlies. They make a lot of changes in friendlies so who's going to start? Who's not going to start? It's just one of those situations but there's an excitement about that as well." tutur Tiernan Lynch.

Derry City memprediksi mereka akan lebih banyak ditekan dan kehilangan penguasaan bola untuk durasi yang cukup lama.

"There's an excitement about getting to understand new players, understanding new playing styles and we have to embrace every minute of it." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Meski demikian, situasi tertekan seperti itu dinilai sudah biasa dihadapi di kompetisi domestik mereka.

"Things won't go our way at times. We will probably have to do without the ball for long periods tomorrow night but we've been used to that with certain teams in our own league. It's just one of those games. You have to enjoy every minute," ujar Tiernan Lynch.

Kerja keras yang telah ditunjukkan seluruh penggawa tim sepanjang musim lalu menjadi modal motivasi utama.

"There's actually no better feeling when you know that the work you put in last year and the boys worked so hard last year to get themselves this opportunity. There's no point taking this opportunity without embracing or enjoying it. That's the key message." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

Lynch menegaskan kedatangan skuadnya ke Bulgaria bukan sekadar sebagai pelengkap turnamen semata.

"We've work to do. We're not here to make up the numbers. We know this side has talent but we also know we have talents. It's about enjoying every minute." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Faktor cuaca di Sofia diperkirakan tidak akan mengganggu performa tim karena pertandingan digelar pada malam hari pukul 21.00 waktu setempat.

"I don't think it's meant to be like this tomorrow night but if it did stay like this or if it had been tonight we would've been laughing." tutur Tiernan Lynch.

Kendati demikian, kesiapan mental pemain untuk beradaptasi dengan atmosfer Eropa tetap menjadi tuntutan mutlak.

"That's all part and parcel of being in Europe and managing the conditions. That;'s a great experience for the players; understanding the different challenges that come with playing in Europe." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

Lynch juga memanfaatkan momentum perjalanan ini untuk mempercepat proses adaptasi para pemain baru di dalam tim.

"Hopefully we can come away with the opportunity to bring this tie back to Brandywell the following week." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Kebersamaan selama tur Eropa dinilai efektif untuk membangun kemitraan antarpemain di luar lapangan.

"This is probably a great time to bring them in as far as we're all away together and you're living in each other's pockets and you get to know everybody. You're eating together three times a day and training and travelling together. So it's a great opportunity for them to get to know each other." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

Kehadiran pilar baru diharapkan mampu memberikan suntikan kekuatan fisik dan opsi rotasi taktik bagi Derry City.

"Obviously we've needed new faces in. It might not necessarily be the game you would want to throw them into but it is what it is and we welcome the bodies." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Lynch secara khusus menaruh harapan pada pengalaman gelandang Ellis Chapman yang sudah familier dengan atmosfer Liga Irlandia.

"We have four players who have come in that we definitely think will add real value to the team: legs, energy, all good players, A little bit of size and strength." tutur Tiernan Lynch.

Staf kepelatihan berkomitmen untuk mengembalikan performa terbaik Chapman setelah periode sulit di klub sebelumnya.

"I think everyone knows Ellis. He's no stranger to the League of Ireland. He had a great spell at Sligo and we actually tried to sign him last year before he went to Shelbourne.

Things didn't quite work out at Shelbourne but you don't become a bad player overnight. Our job it to try and bring the best back out of Ellis again and get him back to where he was pre-Shelbourne days." kata Tiernan Lynch.