This Sunday, Standard de Liège faces Sint-Truiden for the 22nd day of the championship. Currently ninth with 28 points, a victory would allow the Liège club to move one point closer to the top 6, qualifying for Playoffs 1. Ivan Leko, the Standard coach, remains cautious despite the stakes, insisting on the importance of each match in this decisive phase.
“It’s always important to celebrate when you win. You have fun one day but after that, the preparation for the next match already begins. We know that in our situation, like many other teams this year, we don’t has no choice. Every weekend, every match is crucial,” Leko told RTBF.
After a victory on the previous day, the team hopes to achieve a second consecutive success, a goal never before achieved this season. Leko underlines the importance of this opportunity, despite a still full infirmary with major absences, including Matthieu Epolo and Boli Bolingoli. However, the returns of Bosko Sutalo and the arrival of Attila Szalai offer new defensive options. Leko also salutes the performances of young defenders Hautekiet, Dierckx and Lauwrence, who made it possible to keep two clean sheets.
-Advantage Sint-Truiden
Traveling to Sint-Truiden is known to be difficult due to the synthetic pitch, which modifies the behavior of the ball. Leko, with his experience on this type of surface, recognizes the advantage for Sint-Truiden but refuses to make excuses, insisting on the importance of following the game plan and preparing mentally.
Faced with an offensive team led by Bertaccini and Lamkel Zé, Standard will have to show intensity and discipline to obtain a good result. Leko remains confident, recalling that his team has already demonstrated its ability to play well on this type of terrain.
