Hibs Europa League opponents in Easter Road 'fight' warning as skipper makes 'physical and aggressive' claim
Former Brentford defender WANTS Hibs to come at the visitors
Hibs will make tonight’s showdown with European regulars Midtjylland a “fight,” according to Danish captain Mads Bech. And the experienced centre-half says he hopes David Gray’s men come out to attack the visitors at Easter Road – so his team can show their own quality on the counter.
Hibs shocked the home side at the MCH Arena last week, as a travelling support of around 1200 kept up a steady beat of noise and passion during a hard-fought 1-1 draw. Jamie McGrath’s cheeky early free-kick gave the visitors an early lead, with the hosts needing a late deflected dead ball strike of their own to avoid defeat.
Mads Bech has experience in British football
The winners of tonight’s second leg will progress to a Europa League third qualifying round contest against Norwegian side Fredrikstad. And the losers will be pitched into the third qualifying round of the Conference League, where they’ll almost certainly face Partizan Belgrade – already 2-0 up from the away leg as they host Ukrainian team Oleksandriya tonight.
Former Brentford player Bech, drawing on his experience of British football, expects both the Hibs fans AND players to be whipped into a frenzy for this huge game.
“They will probably make the match a fight,” he warned, adding: “We have to be able to resist that, and we also have to be able to turn it to our advantage.
“I actually think that's one of the things we're good at - playing attacking football - when it comes down to it. We want the game to open up more, and if we succeed, we can stick to our style of play and do it our way.
“Then we have some offensive players who can really develop. So we hope that Hibernian will come a little further up the pitch.”
‘Passionate’ home crowd will be a factor
Aware that a near sell-out at Easter Road will generate a thumping atmosphere as Hibs look to take another step towards qualifying for European group/league stage football for the first time, Bech said: “Just like England, Scotland is a nation that just loves football. They are passionate about it with everything they have. We will definitely feel that in the return match.
“The goal is clearly to advance in the Europa League, and I am sure we will do that. But we must be prepared for the pressure to come in Scotland.
“With over 20,000 fans behind them, it will of course be to their advantage to play at home and with the pressure that the fans can put on them that way
"The first game was very typical of British football, it was an entire squad that gave everything they had on the pitch - and so did their fellow travelling fans in the stands. They could hardly have had a better match picture compared to the fact that they were playing a European match away from home.
“It was perfect for them to get a good start and an early goal, and thus a result that had to be defended. But for us it was almost the worst thing that could happen.
“We have to make sure we are there from the start, and we weren't in the first game. They sat there too much in the first 10 minutes. That must not happen again
“I think they want to do the same thing again. That is, put pressure from the start of the match and with the fans behind them. I think Hibernian will try to be aggressive and physical.”