Montenegrin club Sutjeska captain Vladan Giljen shared expectations ahead of the first Champions League qualifying match against Almaty's Kairat. According to the footballer, his team is optimistic but aware of the opponent's level. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Kairat and Sutjeska will meet in the first qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League. The first leg will take place tomorrow, July 8, in Almaty. The return leg is scheduled for July 15 in Montenegro.
Giljen admitted that the draw was not the most favorable for Sutjeska. In his opinion, Kairat was one of the toughest options for the Montenegrins at this stage.
"We are going to Kazakhstan with optimism. We have prepared well. We expect a difficult match; I think Kairat was the toughest opponent we could have gotten in the draw," Vijesti quotes Giljen.
At the same time, the Sutjeska captain emphasized that the team does not intend to look for excuses in advance. According to him, it is important for the Montenegrins to achieve a result that leaves chances before the return leg.
"Of course, we will not look for excuses; we will do everything to achieve a good result before the return match. There is still a long way ahead, but we need to adapt. We will give our maximum, hoping for a favorable result," he said.
Giljen separately noted that Sutjeska should play boldly, not just defend. He stated that the team needs confidence and readiness to attack even away.
"We are determined. We need great self-confidence before these matches; we must not retreat. We must attack, and I hope we can do that," the Montenegrin club captain noted.
He named Kairat's set pieces as one of the important factors. According to Giljen, Sutjeska has already studied this component of the Almaty team's game and will continue analysis after arriving in Kazakhstan.
"We analyzed their set pieces because they are strong in that aspect of the game. They have players who execute corners well and deliver crosses from set pieces. We will analyze them in more detail when we arrive in Almaty," the footballer stated.
Giljen also highlighted the difference in match fitness. Kairat approaches European competitions in the midst of the Kazakhstan championship, while for Sutjeska the season is just beginning. According to the Montenegrin captain, this gives the Almaty team a physical advantage.
"They have played 18 matches in the championship; that is a big plus for them and a big minus for us. They are ready, they know what they are capable of, they are physically better than us, they can run more. But we will give our maximum, and then we will see what we are capable of," Giljen said.
The winner of the Kairat–Sutjeska pair will continue in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The opponent will be Cyprus's Omonia.