Hibs’ Head Coach Neil Lennon insists that his players will be more aggressive against Asteras Tripolis tonight then they were in the first half at Easter Road last week.
The team returned to the dressing room at half time seemingly out of the tie after losing two goals, but a fantastic performance in the second half earned them a memorable 3-2 victory.
Although a 0-0draw would suffice, Lennon believes that it will be important to score against Asteras in Greece as his team is not set up to defend the narrow lead and he concedes that it will be a tough fixture against a team with a good European pedigree in recent years.
Lennon will once again watch the game from the stand due to a dug-out ban imposed after appearing to make signals to the bench during Hibs’ 6-1 victory over NSI Runavik at Easter Road.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the game Lennon said: “We will have to be more aggressive than we were in the first 45 minutes in Edinburgh.
“We played very well in the second half but the tie is still very much in the balance so we will be aggressive because the way that the team is set up is to attack and score goals.
“We are mindful that the tie can change very quickly but we feel it’s important that we score in the tie.
“The object is to make sure we succeed and get into the next round but my tactics and plans will be between myself and my players.
“I thought Asteras were very technical, with quality players. We knew they were very good at counter attack but we also saw weaknesses. We didn’t play as well as we can in the first half because we are still early in our season, but in the second half we were very strong but we will have to play as well as that to succeed.
“The pitch is good. I think the rain helps and there is plenty of grass on the pitch. It’s in better condition that I thought it would be.
“It was important that the players got here a day early to get accustomed to the climate and the surroundings as well. It’s been ideal preparations for what will be a difficult tie.
“The players have earned the right to be here as have Asteras and obviously we want the run to continue. We don’t have much recent European history, but Asteras do and they are a very capable team with an excellent pedigree over the last few years.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
