David Gray: We’re ready to quieten hostile crowd in Greece
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Hibernian produced a thrilling comeback win in the first leg of their Europa League qualification clash with Greek side Asteras Tripoli – eventually triumphing 3-2.
Ahead of the reverse on Thursday, we spoke to Hibs captain David Gray. And the classy right-back was in confident mood, telling us:
“If there’s a hostile crowd then hopefully we can quieten them down a bit. I’m sure there will be a fair few Hibs boys enjoying a few days in Greece and we want to send them home happy.”
“We’ve played in a few hostile environments. People talk about playing abroad but it’s pretty hostile at Tynecastle. It’s the same at Ibrox on a midweek night. We’re well used to going away to big games and dealing with the big occasions.”
And the Hibees’ track record on the big occasion is also giving Gray hope.
The club’s 2016 Scottish Cup Final hero explained: “A lot of our boys have played in big derby games, gone to Celtic and Rangers, and had success in those environments. We know we are capable of handling it and getting a result over there.”
A draw would be enough for Hibs to progress, and it’s 27/20 for honours-even on the night. Meanwhile, you can get 4/1 for a Hibernian win at Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium.
The captain added: “We have given ourselves a chance. We have players with pace who can hurt teams and score goals.
“There’s no doubt we’ve conceded too many times in the last three European games but we’ve been working hard in training to rectify it.”
As for the coming Ladbrokes Premiership campaign, Neil Lennon’s side are looking to build on last season’s fourth-placed finish.
They’re 5/1 in the Betting without Celtic market, whilst it’s 5/6 for Hibs to beat Motherwell in Leith on the opening weekend.
Click here for the latest Ladbrokes Premiership odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
