by Anderlecht and Red Star Belgrade will kick off an evening of Champions League football at the Centenary Stadium today at 17:45 CET. Coaches Dennis Moerman and Bojan Macesic commented on their team’s objectives of progressing in the tournament, despite the two clubs having vastly different experiences in the competition. However, both sides are lining up their stars to get the place secured in Saturday’s final.
Different Experiences, Same Targets
The two clubs come into the competition with very different histories. Anderlecht bring plenty of familiarity with proceedings in Round 1, while having previously made the round of 32 prior to the competition’s newest format. Meanwhile, Red Star Belgrade will be debuting in the competition.
Dennis Moerman of Anderlecht is eyeing a strong showing to complete the team’s targets for this season, “Besides the (domestic) championship and the cup, qualification for the next round of the Champions League is definitely one of the main goals this season.”
Although past history in the competition would make Anderlecht favourites to progress from the group, Moerman is keeping focus firmly on his own squad, “We don’t want to look too much at the other teams in our group, we mainly want to focus on ourselves. Considering the growth the club has gone through the past two seasons, we feel ready to take a next step on the European level and we hope to see our efforts rewarded with a good result in this first round.”
Red Star Belgrade’s coach Bojan Macesic underlined the realisation of a long-term dream for his club to debut in the competition. “For the first time in the club’s history, we have the opportunity to play in the qualifiers, and we are very excited about it. It means a lot to the girls, especially to those who have spent many years in the club and have managed to achieve this long-term goal.”
However, Belgrade’s coach noted that though the club may be a new name, the side brings experience within the squad, “We also have girls on the team who have experience with the qualifiers, as well as with the Champions League group stage, and we believe they will help us go as far as possible in this prestigious competition.”
Form & Match Expectations
The two teams will be meeting for the first time and both come into the knockout match with excellent form. Anderlecht had a strong set of pre-season fixtures, before dominating by a 5-0 scoreline against KVC Westerlo to open their title defence.
Dennis Moerman welcomed the strong start to the season, “It’s good that we already had an official game in the books, because there can be some nervousness the first time you are playing for something real instead of some friendly games where the stakes are rather low. The game last weekend was a good test. Being able to secure a big and convincing win in our domestic competition, definitely gives a confidence boost for the upcoming two games in the first round of the Champions League.”
Capable of nifty footwork and technical play, Anderlecht will look to show their stature. However, the side is expecting a strong Serbian outfit, determined to fight for a place in Saturday’s final. “What we have seen of Belgrade is that they want to be a dominant team. I don’t expect them to change their identity, so we are preparing for a game with a lot of intensity and one against one battles all over the pitch, with high pressing from their end.”
Meanwhile, Red Star Belgrade’s coach, Bojan Macesic, praised the quick integration of his new signings, “The preparations were done well, and the girls who joined during the transfer window have integrated very quickly. In the Balkans, we don’t have a large number of female footballers, so most of them either know each other from national team competitions or from playing together in other clubs.”
The new signings include Nina Matejic who topped the UEFA Women’s EURO U19 goalscoring charts and has hit the ground running with the Serbian team.
Bojan Macesic underlined the team’s desire to have a strong debut and one which does not seem to be intimidated by the occasion, nor the opposition, “You can expect a very motivated team that has been dreaming of this opportunity for a long time. As for the tactics, we won’t reveal anything before the match. Let it be a surprise. Anderlecht is the favourite primarily because of their experience in this competition, but we have analysed them thoroughly and hope we’ve found some weak points.”
The stage is set for the two sides to fight for a place in Saturday’s final. The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium, beginning at 17:45 CET. Their match will be followed by the other tie in the group, where hosts Birkirkara welcome Breznica Pljevlja at 21:15 at the same stadium. Tickets are available for purchase online. Both matches will be live-streamed on TVM Sports+.
Lead Images: RSC Anderlecht Women / Red Star Belgrade Women
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