Manuel Tulipa after draw with Universitatea Cluj: "We can get past them"

Ararat-Armenia head coach Manuel Tulipa summed up the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round against Romanian side Universitatea Cluj, which ended in a goalless draw in Yerevan. The second leg will take place on July 31 in Cluj.

Post-match press conference of Manuel Tulipa

"In the second half, we fought really well, and I'm satisfied with how we played during that period," Tulipa said. "The first half wasn’t as good in terms of tempo, we often failed to make the right decisions under pressure, but we corrected that in the second half."

The Portuguese coach highlighted the key role of one of his players:
"In the second half, our players managed to find Balanta on the field and pass the ball to him. He’s really good with the ball, helps develop the attack and controls the rhythm of the game."

Discussing tactical difficulties, Tulipa mentioned the time factor:
"The only thing that negatively affected our tactics is the limited time I’ve had with the team. We need more time for the team to fully adapt to my style. But this game showed we’re improving. Statistically, we had the upper hand, so we’re on the right path."

Regarding the chances of advancing, Tulipa remained cautiously optimistic:
"I think it’s 50-50. Universitatea Cluj is a very good team with strong individual players, but we’ve seen that we are not inferior, and I believe we can progress."