“We had a good trip, a relatively short and easy flight, and the journey from the airport to the hotel was also brief,” Ben Hemo said.
Despite last week’s impressive victory, the 24-year-old defender stressed that the team remains fully focused: “We showed good quality and won 5-0, but we’re approaching this game in exactly the same way. We prepared in exactly the same manner, and we want to win this match as well.”
On Maccabi hosting its European home matches in Batumi, Ben Hemo said: “It’s funny, but this is our home ground now. We know our fans are coming, and we want to put in a good performance and give them something to be proud of. It’s our first baptism of fire at the new stadium where we’ll play this season, and I hope we’ll get off to a winning start.”
On his own recent form, Ben Hemo who started in all three competitive matches this season, added: “I’ve felt great since the start of the season. The coach has shown faith in me, and I’m happy I’ve been able to repay that trust. I hope to maintain my good form, help the team, and achieve our goals.”
In conclusion, Ben Hemo addressed the mental challenge of preparing for a match after such a convincing first-leg victory: “It’s not easy to get your head ready for a game like this, but we have to approach it with the same commitment and stay humble. We’ll come with the same aggression and preparation that we had for the previous match, and I hope we’ll do the job at least as well as we did last week.
