Heavy defeat to Premier League giants Aston Villa two years ago an inspiration to improve
Hibs veteran Jordan Obita has challenged his team-mates to prove that they deserve a place in the UEFA Conference League proper – and erase the memory of their 8-0 aggregate drubbing by Aston Villa at this stage two seasons ago. David Gray’s men head to Warsaw this week aiming to overturn a 2-1 loss to Legia at Easter Road.
Hibs have never qualified for the group stages or league phases of European football, despite their famous history as pioneers in the early days of continental competition, when the knock-out format saw them frequently reach the latter stages. They reached the play-off round in the summer of 2023, only to be battered 5-0 at home by Premier League giants Villa in Edinburgh to kill off all hopes of progress.
Then-manager Lee Johnson was sacked before the second leg in Birmingham, leaving interim boss Gray to face off against former Hibs hero John McGinn and co in a second leg that finished in a 3-0 win for the hosts. Obita, who featured in both of those games, obviously feels that his team have a far better chance of progressing this year.
And the experienced Englishman laid bare the challenge, saying: “We've got a minimum of one game left to show everybody that we belong here. It would be amazing because for the club it would be the first time, for some of us players it's the first time.
“As long as we believe in our own qualities, we can do it. Why not? It's a dream. Massive. Because every single player dreams of being a European player, trying to play in European competitions.
“We were at the same stage a couple of seasons ago, against Villa, but this time we want to go that one step further and get into that group stage. And it’s very good that we got that one goal to keep us in the tie. We fully believe that we can go over there and we could cause an upset.”
Edinburgh side ran out 2-0 winners over Partizan in Belgrade
Obita’s confidence is based, in part, on how Hibs have performed away from home in their European campaign to date. A 1-1 draw against Midtjylland in Denmark and a stunning 2-0 win over Partizan in Belgrade give the Hibs players good cause to believe. Throw in some of the big domestic results they pulled off last season and, without getting too carried away, they’re entitled to feel up for the challenge.
“We've already shown already this season, away from home, against tough teams, tough stadiums, that we can do it,” said Obita. “We still believe that we're very much in this tie.
“I just think that even in the first game, the first 10-15 minutes, they were on the back foot. There were quite a few chances. It's just about taking them.
“It was a tough game. I thought we started really well - probably should have scored one or two before they did.
“Obviously they went two goals up at half-time. Gaffer said to us at half-time that the next goal is important. We were very fortunate that their third goal was offside. But once we got the goal, we started to believe that we're still in this tie.
“The belief is there ever since last season. The belief that we can go out and we can beat anybody.
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“The run we went on against big teams like Celtic and Rangers, we believe we can get results against them. So why can't we do that in Europe?
“We've really shown already in Serbia that we can go and beat a team on their own home pitch. It’s no different. Why we can't believe that we can go to Poland and do the same?
‘Chaos’ in Serbia a learning experience
“Everyone saw the first 10-15 minutes in Belgrade. It was very loud and it was chaos.
“But once we settled down and we could get the ball moving, started putting balls in the box, we could show how good we are. Because we've got very good strikers and people who can deliver the ball in the box.”
The presence of Kieron Bowie and pace of Martin Boyle makes for a pretty decent front pairing, of course. And Thibault Klidje, the new record signing who cost Hibs £1.5 million about a month ago, caught the eye as a substitute.
“I wouldn't want to play against them every single week,” said Obita, when asked about the dynamic duo up top, the defender pointing out: “I play against it in training, which is enough.
“I think even the boys that came on, they can make a difference. Some of the boys who played against Livingston showed their qualities too. It's really good that we have a very competitive team right now. It doesn't matter who plays, I think everybody steps up and does their role.”
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