Derry City Jamin Tampil Tanpa Takut Hadapi CSKA Sofia

Derry City akan menjamu CSKA Sofia dalam laga leg kedua babak kualifikasi pertama Liga Europa UEFA di Stadion Ryan McBride Brandywell pada Kamis malam, 16 Juli 2026. Candystripes wajib mengejar ketertinggalan agregat setelah kalah tipis 3-2 pada pertemuan pertama di Sofia.

Manajer Derry City, Tiernan Lynch, menegaskan bahwa pasukannya tidak perlu merasa gentar sedikit pun saat menghadapi wakil Bulgaria tersebut.

"I'm not going to sit here and try and have arrogance about us because I don't think we've done enough to do that," kata Lynch.

Lynch menilai pemahaman taktik dari laga pertama menjadi modal penting bagi anak asuhnya untuk membalikkan keadaan di hadapan pendukung sendiri.

"What we have to do is understand the areas where we feel we can exploit them now that we have a little more knowledge of their personnel," ujar Lynch.

Tim tamu sempat memberikan kejutan taktis yang tidak diantisipasi oleh Derry City pada pertandingan pertama lalu.

"Technically they are a very good team. They have some really good footballers and are a real threat. There were a couple of players we expected to play that didn't play.

We were probably taken aback by the shape they played. It wasn't the shape we were expecting them to play," jelas Lynch.

Oleh karena itu, Lynch berharap para pemainnya bisa tampil lebih tenang dan memanfaatkan atmosfer intimidatif dari tribune penonton.

"So who knows what Thursday is going to bring from their end. There's a couple of elements for our game we need to get better at. We need to show a little bit more confidence and composure. Hopefully at home, with our own supporters behind us that intimidation factor that I think the Brandywell will bring, we will go into it with plenty of belief," tambah Lynch.

Perbedaan kekuatan finansial dan infrastruktur yang mencolok dengan tim lawan tidak dinilai sebagai penghalang bagi tuan rumah.

"The two teams and clubs – all you have to do is look at the new stadium they've built. The difference in the club in terms of size and stature and the wage bill and the monetary value that goes with it but when you step onto that pitch it's 11 v. 11. I keep trying to tell the players that, no disrespect to CSKA but it's not Barcelona," tegas Lynch.

Performa apik pada setengah jam terakhir di Sofia dianggap telah memberikan bukti kemampuan tim Irlandia Utara ini di level Eropa.

"We've seen for the last 30 minutes of the game on Thursday night that we can play at this level and compete at this level. It's really important we don't show any disrespect but it's also important we try to impose our game," ujar Lynch.

Tanpa adanya beban berat di pundak para pemain, Derry City diharapkan dapat bermain lepas demi meraih hasil maksimal.

"There's definitely things we felt we could have and should have done better. You also have to remember a lot of our players it was their first time playing in Europe. Now the monkey is off our back, I don't think there's any huge pressure on our shoulders.

I think we can go and enjoy the game in front of our own fans. As long as we give 100 percent, I think we will be okay," tutur Lynch.

Keberhasilan mencuri gol pada menit-menit akhir pertandingan leg pertama menjadi landasan penting bagi perjuangan malam ini.

"There's definitely areas we feel we can exploit and we will cause them problems no doubt. It's in our hands as far as I'm concerned. That last goal gave us a bit of a platform.

Something to hang onto and get after. It's just managing the game," pungkas Lynch.

Derry City juga dituntut untuk cerdas dalam mengontrol emosi pertandingan demi menghindari kesalahan fatal sejak awal laga.

"The fans will be there and it will be an electric atmosphere. You will want to go gung-ho and get after them. We have to manage that situation.

You can't win the game in the first 10 minutes but you can lose it. It's playing with our heads as well as our hearts," tegas Lynch.

Kebisingan suporter CSKA Sofia pada leg pertama diharapkan bisa dibalas secara setimpal oleh suporter tuan rumah di Brandywell.

"The intimidation factor that their fans brought and how noisy they were. I thought our boys managed that brillianty. It's hugely iportant our fans recipriocate. It's a smaller ground, tighter ground, in your face and I think the more intimidating we can make that the better it will be for us," ucap Lynch.

Di kubu lawan, CSKA Sofia yang dipimpin Hristo Yanev terpaksa tidak diperkuat oleh dua pemain internasional Belarusia, Fyodor Lapoukhov dan Maks Ebong, akibat permasalahan visa Inggris yang belum rampung.