In the first round of the UEFA Europa League, the Norwegian team drew 0-0 with Kazakhstan on the road, but the team's overall performance still allowed Norwegian manager Solbakken to see the positive aspects. After the match, Sørbakken commented on the team's performance and made an outlook for future matches when he was interviewed by the media.
Commenting on the result of the game, Solbakken said, "We were confident in what we did and we were very calm. Although we didn't take all three points, our performance was positive. Now we have to be careful not to be counter-attacked by our opponents. We created a lot of chances in this game but unfortunately didn't capitalize on them. Obviously, we came here with the expectation of taking all three points, which we should have done."
Solbakken singled out Harland for a close-range cushion shot that hit the post during the game, saying, "Harland came very close to scoring with that shot, and it would have been a perfect away game if he could have put it away. But that's the way soccer is, sometimes you miss chances, but it doesn't change our confidence for the future."
Looking ahead to next Monday's match against Austria, Solbakken said it will be a very different match from tonight's: "It's going to be a completely different game. The Austrians are a very strong team with a lot of possession, so in this game the possession will be very close and the gap will be smaller. We have to defend well as we did today, but also find chances to break through on the offensive end. I believe my players are capable of meeting such a challenge."
Solbakken is optimistic about the Norwegian team's performance and believes that the team is moving in the right direction. At the same time, he reminded his players to be wary of counter-attacks from their opponents and to be ready for tougher challenges in the coming matches.
