Donis: “We have to be more focused against Olympiacos”
Giorgos Donis noted the importance of not making mistakes against Olympiacos, while Pedro Martins isn’t taking Panathinaikos lightly.
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Panathinaikos and Olympiacos approach the Derby of Eternal Enemies in rather contrasting form. After a positive pre-season, Panathinaikos earned just the one point from the opening three rounds of the 2019/2020 Super League, while Olympiacos have made a perfect start while also impressing in the UEFA Champions League. Last week, the Prasini conceded a heavy 4-0 defeat to Aris on the road, but Olympiacos thrashed Volos NFC 5-0 and then held Tottenham to a pulsating 2-2 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Head coach of Panathinaikos, Giorgos Donis, spoke about his team’s crisis:
Thoughts of resigning after playing Aris: “The coach is judged on the results and performances. Our team has performed very poorly in the last two matches. We believed that the match against OFI was just a bad day at the office, but the game with Aris last Saturday was terrible. I thought that it was time for me to leave the club. I wanted to suggest that I leave for the good of the team.”
The reason behind the poor performances: “It’s clear that we are in crisis. We’re bad in all positions. We’re bad when in possession, mistakes are constantly being made. Our defence is leaky and we’re losing the duels. A coach has to change the situation by creating a plan. I must do everything in order for us to become competitive again. Football is a strange game. Last year, we had a difficult pre-season, but we started the season really well. This year, the complete opposite has happened. It is an unpredictable sport.”
Approach for Olympiacos: “We have to be a lot more focused against Olympiacos. Mistakes simply have to be avoided. When we are in possession of the ball, quality players like Ghayas Zahid, Giannis Bouzoukis, Dimitris Kolovos, Anastasios Chatzigiovannis, Ilias Chatzitheodoridis and Federico Macheda have to make things happen. We have great motivation for this match, it’s a home game for us.”
Olympiacos boss Pedro Martins isn’t expecting an easy game against Panathinaikos at the Olympic Stadium:
Difficulty of recovering after playing Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League: “We’ll be ready for Sunday. Since Wednesday, our training sessions have not been as intense, but we will be in good shape for this derby against Panathinaikos.”
Importance of playing Panathinaikos: “We know how important this match is for everyone. However, this is just another league game for us in which we need the three points. We must remain focused, because Panathinaikos are a good, well-coached team. We must ignore all extra emotions and stay calm. Yes, Panathinaikos are in bad shape, but they always make life difficult for us.”
If Panathinaikos’ poor form makes them even more dangerous: “Anyone can win in a derby, this will be a very difficult game for us. We prepare for our matches while not thinking about the opponents’ current situation. If we beat Panathinaikos, it will mean that we continue moving in the right direction in the Super League. We must play with total concentration.”
Injury problems: “Pape Abou Cisse won’t be available. Apart from the ongoing issues concerning Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and Kostas Fortounis, we have a full-strength squad. The players in best form will play.”
