EUROPA LEAGUE
Group D
Dundalk v AZ Alkmaar
Tallaght Stadium, 8.05
Live on EirSport 1 and ESPN
With Legia Warsaw having conceded 24 goals in five Champions League group games, there might be the sense in some quarters that Dundalk dodged a bullet by losing to the Poles and going into the Europa League but Seán Gannon says the disappointment of not getting that opportunity to test themselves against the very best clubs in the world still took some getting over.
“It’s the biggest club competition there is,” he says, “so obviously and we wanted to progress in that and become the first Irish side to reach the group stages. To go so close when we played Legia, we were bitterly disappointed to lose over the two legs. Would we swap it now? I don’t know, but we were still bitterly disappointed to lose.
“Obviously to be in the group stages of the Europa League is still an unbelievable achievement for us,” continues the 25 year-old right-back who has featured in all 10 of the club’s European games this season. “And I think we are where we are in the group on merit. I don’t think that there’s anyone could argue that we are there on luck.”
Top table
The hope is that, whatever happens in their remaining two group games, the experience gained this season will stand to the players next year when they make another attempt to reach the club game’s lucrative top table just as the experience of previous campaigns is standing to them now.
“Going out to BATE last year, we were so close, and my first year beating Hajduk Split away in Croatia in front of a bumper crowd was good. But he (Stephen Kenny) expected us to go out and perform in those games.
“Even from the early days, from when I was first at the club, he’s expected us to do that because he really views Europe as a thing we can have a good crack at. And I think we’ve shown with our performances that we have taken that confidence with us out onto the pitch.
“Now, we’re doing everything we can to be ready for tomorrow. We know that whatever happens we will have to go to Israel and get a result so we’re under no illusions about the task or that we have to perform but our expectations now are based on how we have performed in Europe.
"We shouldn’t have any fears, we should be approaching these games positively and hopefully getting a result.”
