Kilmarnock vs Cercle Bruges: UEFA Europa League – BBC Sport

Derek McInnes is urging Kilmarnock to show “what we’re good at” and carry on their home form of 2024 when they take on Cercle Bruges in Thursday’s Europa League second qualifying round tie.

McInnes’ side finished fourth in last season’s Scottish Premiership and have won six and drawn two of their 10 home games so far in the calendar year.

The eventual winner of Killie’s tie will meet Norway’s Molde or Silkeborg of Sweden in the next round. The loser will take on Tromso of Norway or Finland’s KuPS Kuopio in the Conference League third qualifying round.

“You don’t need to win the home leg but everything’s so much more difficult if you don’t,” said McInnes. “Certainly losing the home leg makes it so challenging.

“When you play the seeded team, they’re clearly the favourites, they’re trading on a different level from us in terms of the money involved. I still think we’ve got to go and show why we’re in Europe in the first place.

“Our home form was a huge part of that and I think tomorrow gives us the opportunity to demonstrate what we are, what we’re good at.

“It’s important we go to Belgium next Thursday hopefully with a lead but if not, making sure we’re still in the tie.”

McInnes are returning to European competition for the first time in five years, having been relegated and promoted since then, with McInnes overseeing the latter.

“The opportunity of competing in Europe doesn’t come round every year for ourselves. For a club like Kilmarnock we’d like to get to the stage where it becomes more frequent.

“When you look back two-and-a-half years ago when we took over, we had a horrible game at Queen of the South in January, hardly anybody there.

“Two-and-a-half years on, we’ve got this type of fixture to look forward to. Now we’re here, we just want to have a go at it.”