Auda captain Dašķevičs: We wanted more goals after Conference League win
After Auda's 1-0 home victory over Dinamo City in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round, captain Eduards Dašķevičs said his team had wanted a bigger margin but accepted the result before the return match in Tirana.
Latvian side Auda took a narrow 1-0 lead in their first match of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League on Tuesday in Riga, beating Albania's Dinamo City. Captain Eduards Dašķevičs said after the game that the team had wanted a bigger winning margin.
The only goal arrived in the 68th minute. Bartelemī Diedjū scored with a volley from around 18 metres after a pass from Dašķevičs. The captain described his assist as ordinary but praised Diedjū's finish. He told Latvian Television that the opening ten or fifteen minutes were uncomfortable and that the referee stopped play for the smallest contact. Later, Auda took control of the ball and converted one of its chances.
Three minutes after going ahead, the away team was reduced to ten men when defender Fabjans Prendreka received a second yellow card. Auda could not add another goal in the remaining time. Dašķevičs explained that the team expected to be stronger in the second half and noticed the opponents fading before the interval. With fast attacking options available from the bench, the plan was to keep possession and wait for opportunities. He admitted they wanted two or three goals but accepted 1-0 as a good result.
Auda entered the competition in the second round, where they beat FCSB of Bucharest 7-3 on aggregate. FCSB won the European Cup in the 1985/86 season. Dinamo City had previously eliminated Kazakhstan's Astana 4-2 after extra time in the first round and Slovenia's Aluminij 4-1 in the second.
The return match will be played in Tirana on 13 August. To reach the group stage, teams need to overcome three qualifying rounds and a play-off round. In the play-off round, the winners of this tie will face the losers of the Europa League pair between Salzburg and Pafos.
