Crespo: “We must play with the same mentality”

Ahead of the Super League derby between PAOK and Panathinaikos at the Toumba Stadium, Jose Angel Crespo and Giorgos Donis shared their expectations.

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These two giants of the Greek game are in rather contrasting form. Winners of last season’s Super League, PAOK have the chance to move into joint first place with Olympiacos, while Panathinaikos find themselves languishing in 11th position with a mere eight points. Panathinaikos’ last win at the Toumba Stadium was in the 2016/2017 playoffs.

Centre-back Jose Angel Crespo spoke to PAOK TV:

Thoughts for playing Panathinaikos: “I think that we need to play with the same mentality as in the last game; to play aggressively, keep the ball and to continue in the same way.”

Panathinaikos’ poor form: “They are still Panathinaikos, their history speaks for itself. They have lots of young players in their team, but they have quality and we saw that they gave their opponents difficult games. We must be focused. If we are 100%, we will win the match without any problems, but we must do our best.”

Panathinaikos boss Giorgos Donis wants a confident performance from his players in Thessaloniki:

Emotions after defeating Panachaiki in the Greek Cup: “After losing another home match, it was crucial to win again. This has helped us become stronger psychologically. If we sat down and analysed the match against Larissa, we would see that Panathinaikos were better, but the result is negative. When you have full control over a game, you need to win it.”

Scoring problems: “The biggest reason behind this issue is the injury suffered by Federico Macheda. He has done a great job. Yes, talented players like Giannis Bouzoukis and Tasos Chatizigiovanis need to create opportunities, but the main problem was Macheda’s injury.”

Approach for the match in Thessaloniki: “We work in a specific manner. However, we have analysed the opponents, of course. We must perform at our best so that we can earn a positive result. We know that PAOK are very strong, and in comparison to last year, they have different characteristics. We have to be solid in defence and play with confidence. At the end of the regular season, we want to be in the top six for the playoffs.”

If Panathinaikos need to be focused on the wings: “No, we must not focus on just one position, because PAOK have great players across the attacking line. They can move into different zones and carry the ball, so we have to be aggressive and play consistently.”

By: Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

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