Eilidh Adams: Hibernian ‘Can Compete’ Against Inter Milan in Europa Cup Qualifier

Hibernian striker Eilidh Adams has expressed confidence in her team's ability to compete against Inter Milan in their upcoming Europa Cup qualifier. Despite acknowledging the Italian giants as formidable opponents, Adams believes Hibs have the quality and determination to challenge them in the two-legged tie.

Hibs enter the Europa Cup after a third-place finish in their Champions League qualifying group. While Adams recognizes the step up in competition, she emphasizes the team's belief in their capabilities. Speaking to BBC Scotland, the 21-year-old forward stated, "Obviously they've got that name - Inter Milan - everyone knows the name. We know it's going to be an extremely tough game. Maybe even slightly harder opposition, despite it being the Europa Cup. But we've shown that we can compete, so we've got confidence and belief in ourselves going into the game."

The first leg of the qualifier will take place at Inter Milan's training center, presenting a challenging environment for Hibs. Adams highlights the importance of a strong performance in Italy to set them up for the return leg at Easter Road.

"It's good to have had that experience out in Cyprus against top opposition," said Adams, reflecting on their previous European campaign. "The first game especially was really difficult and something we've probably not experienced before with quite a young group. Now we kind of know the level we need to be at. The style of play is completely different. Big, strong, physical players. Speed of play. It's all just a bit different to this league."

Inter Women's are also coming off the back of European action, where they narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification. They lost to Brann in their Champions League semi-final then beat Valur of Iceland 4-1 in the play-off to ensure their European journey also continued.

Hibs, the reigning SWPL champions, are determined to bounce back from a recent 2-0 derby defeat against Hearts. Adams acknowledges the need for a quick recovery as they face a demanding schedule both domestically and in Europe.

"We've not got the biggest squad," the Scotland international admitted. "But it's what we want. We won the league last year and this is what we get for it. We just need to take it in our stride. We know there'll be tough points, especially with the home and away league. It's a lot of football. But as a player, that's what you want to do. You want to be playing matches."

Looking ahead to the return leg at Easter Road, Adams hopes for a significant turnout from Hibs supporters, believing that a strong home crowd could be decisive in the tie. "Obviously, we really want to still be in the game at that point," she emphasized. "I think being able to play somewhere like Easter Road under the lights, hopefully we can get a really good turnout. Our aim first and foremost is the game on Wednesday night, but we're hoping then going into the home leg, we can still be in the game."

Image source, SNS