Baha notes the strength of PAOK, Lucescu hints at squad changes
BATE Borisov head coach Alyaksey Baha noted that PAOK have balance in all areas of the field, while visiting manager Razvan Lucescu respects the Belarusians and will make changes to the team for the UEFA Europa League group stage duel.
On matchday one in Group L of the UEFA Europa League, PAOK welcomed English giants Chelsea to the Toumba Stadium, conceding a 0:1 defeat in front of their home fans after Brazilian midfielder Willian netted the only goal in the early stages. In Hungary, perennial Belarusian champions BATE were too strong for Vidi, returning to Borisov with a potentially crucial 2:0 victory in their pocket. Ahead of the intriguing match against PAOK, home boss Alyaksey Baha gave his thoughts on the Greek opposition:
Opinion on PAOK’s start to the Super League season: “Yes, PAOK have made an impressive start to the domestic championship, they played against very strong teams and began the campaign with a -2 points deficit. They have a balanced team in all areas of the pitch just like any large European side.”
PAOK’s main strengths: “PAOK have lots of quality footballers and they like to protect possession. When they lose the ball, their players work hard to win it back and try to build momentum in attack. Individually, I would like to point out Aleksandar Prijovic. They are a complete European team.”
Capabilities of Pontus Wernbloom: “He enjoyed success in the Russian championship and is a real fighter on the pitch. Nevertheless, asides from Wernbloom, PAOK have plenty of other good players.”
How PAOK play differently in Greece and Europe: “They seem to be a completely different team when playing in Europe, but if we speak about the match against Chelsea, the opponents were of the highest quality and their early goal helped them. Let’s look at PAOK’s games with Spartak Moscow, Benfica and in the Greek championship. Have I contacted any of Spartak’s coaches? No, I don’t speak Italian!”
PAOK manager Razvan Lucescu revealed that changes will be made to the squad in Belarus and commented on the role of Pontus Wernbloom:
Possible changes to the squad: “It’s important for us to have fresh players in the team. I’m not going to tell you who will play, I will make my decision after the final training session here. Tiredness? Mentally we’re tired because of the difficult matches, but not physically. In Europe, we had to play Chelsea, and in Greece we competed against Aris, AEK and Olympiacos. Changes are required to keep the squad fresh.”
Thoughts on BATE Borisov: “BATE are well-organised with a strong mindset. They have 4-5 things which are a fundamental parts of their philosophy and they always stick to them. The Belarusians boast plenty of European experience, they will be very difficult to beat, but we know what we have to do.”
PAOK’s success in a testing period of matches: “In these situations, the only thing which is important is the result. The two victories over Olympiacos and AEK were key for us, you need a resilient mentality to prevail in those games. In football, you must respect the opponents and be ready to give everything on the pitch. We want qualification to the knockout stage of the Europa League and we must win matches in the competition.”
Role of Pontus Wernbloom within the team: “Just because he’s a new transfer, it doesn’t mean that he has to immediately be in the starting line-up every time! He started the match against Aris and appeared as a substitute in the two big Super League matches (AEK, Olympiacos). Pontus is a team player and he’s gradually adapting to PAOK.”
