Uefa Champions League first qualifying round, first leg
HJK Helsinki v Larne (Wednesday, 5pm)
LARNE talisman Leroy Millar is looking forward to his side’s venture east this week, when the Irish League champions take on their Finnish counterparts HJK Helsinki in the first-leg of first-round qualifying for this season’s Champions League.
However, the Cullybackey man sees the journey as very much a business trip as opposed to some jollies of old.
“I’m super excited about the game, the chance to pit yourself against the best other countries have to offer and see new parts of the world you maybe have never been to before," he said.
“However, we are all aware nowadays that our job is to get the job done. We fly in and out in quite a short 48-hour window so there will be no room for socialising or partying too much, our preparation will be just the same as a league game bar the logistics,” he says.
The Inver Park side put in a devastating display in the domestic league last term to blow away any of their rivals, who all suffered from dips in form throughout the campaign. Millar knows his side have deserved their place at the top table.
“I think we deserve to be at the Champions League table this season. We showed last year over 38 games that we were the deserved winners of the league, and as a fully-professional side now, we are aiming to compete with sides the calibre of HJK," the player of the season said.
- Read more: Champions League with Larne ‘means a lot more' to Arsenal old boy Mark Randall
Tiernan Lynch’s side will be hoping to improve from their disappointing venture into the Europa League qualifying stages last season, where they fell at the first hurdle to St Joseph’s of Gibraltar. Lynch’s team gained a credible scoreless draw away from home before losing 1-0 at Inver Park.
This season the Reds will hope new signings Ali Omar (defender) and ex-Newcastle United striker Isaac Westendorf will make the difference against a side who has won their domestic league three seasons in a row. while Lee Bonis has ended transfer speculation by signing a new three-year deal with the club.
The Finnish side will benefit from being 16 games into their domestic season and currently sit third in the table. However, they have not won in three games, including a 1-0 defeat at home to lowly FC Lahti on Saturday.
Lynch made note of how Irish League sides are at a disadvantage due to a lack of summer football this week, however Millar is unsure
“I think there are arguments to be made for both sides. It would take some time to make the transition, so maybe there needs to be some more investment into this, but at the minute I’m not sure of the appetite for this from the players throughout the league,” says the 27-year-old.
If Larne are going to progress in this year’s tournament, home victories will be crucial and they will have to do that away from the familiar surroundings of their home town. Due to an unsatisfactory pitch they will be playing the home fixture at Cliftonville’s Solitude. Millar is not getting carried away by this technicality.
“Look, that is something outside our control. We of course were disappointed when we heard the news, more so for the loyal fans, but we as players have to stay focussed on what's happening on the pitch.
“It is another artificial surface and we are all familiar playing there, so I don’t think we’re going to start making excuses based on that. We are going to zone in on HJK now, make sure we have all the video footage, know their game inside out, be patient and I’m confident we can still be in the tie come Thursday morning”
