Tamkin Khalilzada: Serbia–Azerbaijan match is comparable to a final

The semifinal match of the European championship in minifootball between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Serbia will be comparable to a final in terms of intensity and significance, Azerbaijani national team member Tamkin Khalilzada told Report's correspondent in Bratislava.

He said the Azerbaijani team is aware of its opponent's strength and is preparing seriously for the upcoming match.

"Only four teams are left in the tournament. We know Serbia's potential. The coaches will analyze them and give instructions. The opponents also fear us because we have strong players. The match with Serbia is comparable to a final," Khalilzada said.

The player also commented on the quarterfinal win against the Czech Republic, which ended 5–2 in favor of Azerbaijan.

He said the team came to the tournament as reigning world champions and therefore expectations are very high.

"We prepared seriously, we knew the opponent. At this stage there are no weak teams. We play every day, so fatigue is inevitable. However, the match turned out easier than expected. Everything went as we wanted. We are happy to reach the semifinals, but we are thinking only about winning the tournament," he said.

Khalilzada also noted the aggressive playing style of the Czech team, saying most opponents play physically against Azerbaijan.

"We saw this also in the match against Kazakhstan. We were prepared for everything. The most important thing is that we avoided injuries," he added.

The semifinal between Serbia and Azerbaijan will take place at the Tipos Arena stadium at 22:45 Baku time (GMT+4).