The “Submarine” Seeks Qualification, Daja: We Aim to Settle It Within 90 Minutes

Dinamo City is ready for its decisive second-leg battle against Aluminij in the UEFA Conference League’s second qualifying round.

After a 1–1 draw in Slovenia, the “Submarine” will seek the victory at Elbasan Arena that would secure its place in the next round of the competition.

During the pre-match press conference, head coach Ilir Daja and midfielder Klevi Qefalija expressed their confidence that Dinamo possesses everything necessary to overcome the Slovenian side.

Daja: The tie remains completely open

Daja considers the first-leg result positive but warned that qualification remains completely open.

“The draw in the first match was certainly positive, but I think the tie will remain open throughout the 90 minutes here in Elbasan,” Daja said.

According to the coach, Dinamo’s only advantage is playing at a stadium the team knows well.

“Our only advantage is that we are playing in familiar surroundings because we have played here frequently. Personally, I have enjoyed both good fortune and victories at this stadium since my time as Elbasani’s coach.”

Objective: Qualification within 90 minutes

The Dinamo coach believes his team can settle the tie without requiring extra time or a penalty shootout.

“We believe qualification will be decided within 90 minutes. Considering the draw in the first leg, we may need to prepare for extra time as the match develops. Nevertheless, we believe we can settle it within 90 minutes,” he emphasized.

Daja expects a balanced match in which individual incidents and mistakes could determine the outcome.

“I think the match will be decided by key moments. We must be extremely careful and make as few mistakes as possible. The goal we conceded in Slovenia also came from one of our own errors.”

Caution when building from the back

Dinamo City wants to build its attacks from defence, but Daja acknowledged that this approach carries risks. He demanded concentration, responsibility and balance from his players.

“We understand that building from the back involves risk. We must be careful and maintain our balance so that we allow as few dangerous situations as possible near our goal.”

Qefalija: We now know our opponents better

Midfielder Klevi Qefalija also attended the press conference. He revealed that the staff and players had carefully analyzed the opening match.

“We know our opponents better now and have analyzed them. We watched the first match on video to identify what we need to improve and what we did well in Slovenia,” Qefalija said.

The midfielder acknowledged that Aluminij is not an easy opponent but promised that Dinamo would give everything to secure qualification.

“It will be a difficult match because we are not facing an easy opponent. However, we will give everything to achieve the best possible result.”

Eliminating Astana increased the team’s confidence

According to Qefalija, the comeback and qualification against Astana gave Dinamo a major psychological boost.

“Psychologically, we are in a very good place because we eliminated a very strong team like Astana. We were at a disadvantage after losing the first leg and then conceded again in the return match, but we strongly believed we would qualify—and we did.”

Dinamo also controlled the game in Slovenia. For that reason, Qefalija believes the team has the quality required to advance.

“Although the match in Slovenia ended in a draw, the game was under our control. We believe we can get through this round.”

Returning players could strengthen Dinamo

Dinamo did not have its full squad available for the first leg. The return of several players is expected to provide Daja with additional options.

“The players who missed the first match are important members of our squad. Malomo has started most of our games, and I believe he will help us in our attempt to secure qualification,” Qefalija concluded.

Everything is now ready for the decisive 90 minutes at Elbasan Arena. After the draw in Slovenia, Dinamo City intends to use its home advantage and continue its European journey.

The “Submarine” wants to sink Aluminij and resurface with a ticket to the next round.