Europa League

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Europa League | Round-of-16

Mar 14, 2013 at 5pm UK

Rubin Kazan
2-0
Levante

Salomon Rondon, Dyadyun

Jose Rondon: 'We stayed strong'

By Matt Domm, Reporter | 15 March 2013

Jose Rondon is pleased that Rubin Kazan managed to see off Levante, but is not getting carried away with the Russian side's chances.

Rubin Kazan striker Jose Rondon has praised his teammates for staying strong in extra time to defeat Levante 2-0 on Thursday night to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Despite Rubin's progress, however, Rondon said that the club would not plan too far ahead in what is a "difficult competition".

"It was a very difficult match," UEFA.com quotes him as saing. "We knew Levante had a lot of fight and they would cause us problems. It went to extra time but we were strong physically and we managed to win. I'm happy, we did a great job. We have to continue like this.

"Rubin's objective has always been the same: we take it match by match. The knockout stages are pretty difficult and this is a difficult competition.

"There are teams with a lot of experience. I have no preference who we face now. It's all pretty much the same in the end - the competitive teams who have made it this far have made it this far for a reason."

Rondon scored the opener in the first half of extra time in Rubin's win on Thursday night.