Scott Ruscoe calls on TNS to punish Zilina

Zilina head to Oswestry as Ruscoe’s side begin their 2020/21 European adventure with a first qualifying round tie against last season’s Slovak Supa Liga runners-up.

The visitors boast impressive European competition pedigree in Europa League and Champions League football and Saints boss Ruscoe foresees them arriving at Park Hall for the 6.30pm kick-off with a hint of arrogance.

Ruscoe has led TNS to some memorable European results in his three seasons in charge and believes the attitude of visitors from the continent is something his side can look to exploit.

“They will be coming over here positive, probably with a little bit of arrogance as well,” Ruscoe said of MSK Zilina. “They will think ‘it’s the Welsh league, we’ll dominate possession and sort these out’. That’s what tends to happen.

“I will say that the Macedonian champions came over here and we nearly got the biggest turnaround in European football, they were 5-0 up and a few more minutes we’d have got to 5-5.

“That’s not me being bullish, it’s just saying they won 4-0 and we coped very well at home. So if they underestimate us we’ll be ready for them.”

The Saints memorably secured a Champions League victory in Kosovo last year and almost completed the unthinkable against Macedonian champions Shkendija the season before, where Ruscoe’s men maximised home advantage but fell just one goal short of overturning a 5-0 first leg defeat.

TNS enter European competition in the Europa League, rather than the Champions League, for the first time since 2011/12, having relinquished their grasp on the Cymru Premier title last season, as a points-per-game average saw them finish runners-up after the coronavirus curtailed league action.

While the Saints will not start their new domestic campaign until September 11 at the earliest, Zilina have already played four fixtures in the Slovak Supa Liga – opening up with two wins and two defeats.

Park Hall boss Ruscoe reckons that Zilina’s experience in the competition gives them the edge as favourites tonight, despite the visitors having to make the near-2,500 mile round trip in testing circumstances.

“We’re on our pitch, we’re on our Astroturf. Yes they have 4G as well but our surroundings aren’t great for European teams coming,” he added.

“I remember Copenhagen coming last year and looking at the place thinking ‘what’s going on here?’ and that’s just taking us for granted a little bit maybe.

“But we did OK in a game live on BT Sport. We probably had the best chances. Let’s hope they do underestimate us and we give it a real go and surprise them.”

Zilina have reached both the Europa League and Champions League group stages once in the last 12 seasons. They beat Martin O’Neill’s Villa 2-1 at Villa Park in the 2007/08 Europa League.

But the Slovaks peaked in the 2010/11 campaign, where they were paired with Chelsea, Marseille and Spartak Moscow in a Champions League group.

Pavol Stano’s squad contains players from Poland, Ghana, Macedonia, Argentina and Albania.

This evening’s tie, played behind closed doors, will be played to a conclusion with extra-time and penalties if necessary. Due to Covid-19 it has been made a one-legged tie, with Ruscoe citing home advantage as a key factor.

Ruscoe has watched full footage of Zilina’s league clashes, and believes his side can exploit their attacking style.