Jimenez points to lack of spark, Donis pleased with defensive performance
Following the gritty 0:0 draw at the Olympic Stadium, AEK’s Manolo Jimenez thought his players lacked speed, while Panathinaikos manager Giorgos Donis was happy with the visitors’ defensive showing.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com!
In truth, it was a desperately poor Athenian Derby in terms of quality, as a mistake-ridden AEK side failed to apply pressure to the sturdy Panathinaikos defence. For the majority of the game, Panathinaikos were happy to sit back, but had Dimitris Kourbelis steered his header on target in the dying moments, they would have snatched all three points at the OAKA. AEK eventually increased the intensity in the second half, but asides from Ezequiel Ponce’s powerful drive and a deflected effort from Marko Livaja, the reigning champions rarely threatened Sokratis Dioudis’ goal in a thoroughly underwhelming display.
When speaking to the media, AEK head coach Manolo Jimenez stated that he understands the fans’ frustrations: “They have the right to be angry,” said the 55-year-old manager. “I love AEK and I can feel their support. The fans do understand the problems we have. If all of our players were 100% healthy, we wouldn’t be in this situation. I know that we have good players. Yes, today we were lacking speed, but the guys continued trying and running until the end. We didn’t have a spark and this is why the result is a draw.
Nevertheless, we will continue working, and we didn’t lose. We dominated the match, but we didn’t have many opportunities. Four defenders are missing, and in this game, Dmytro Chygrynskiy received the same injury which he suffered against Atromitos. I completely disagree with anyone who says that we didn’t fight today. At half-time, Michalis Bakakis asked to be substituted, but I told him to keep playing. It’s obvious why we aren’t playing with a spark.
We want to achieve our goals which are third place in the Super League and victory in the Greek Cup.”
Panathinaikos boss Giorgos Donis revealed that he wants his players to improve in the final third: “In this game, we had to play in an organised manner in defence, but we have to be focused and play better in attack,” stated Donis. “I wanted more experienced players on the pitch today. Am I happy with the result? No. We had chances of our own today, and unless you start to take risks, you’re not going to score. We had an ideal opportunity to win the match when Dimitris Kourbelis headed wide.
We will play more aggressively next week so that we can beat Olympiacos.”
Michalis Bakakis, who played on the left side of defence against Panathinaikos, expressed his disappointment with the result: “All of us feel said right now. Everyone gave 100%, and during the entire game, we were the better team. We failed to score and a solution has to be found. AEK want to win the Greek Cup and finish the Super League with victories in all of the remaining matches.
Did the UEFA Champions League take our energy? Those matches were very demanding, and maybe we should have prepared for games differently. We have fatigue.”
AEK midfielder Konstantinos Galanopoulos praised Panathinaikos for their performance in the derby: “Panathinaikos were very good today, it was difficult to stretch their defence. In comparison to last season, we have been lacking stability this time around, but we cannot blame injuries. We tried hard, but couldn’t break Panathinaikos down. Next week, we have to give our all against Atromitos in Peristeri.”
Panathinaikos defender Ousmane Coulibaly was pleased with earning a draw against AEK on the road: “This was a special match for me, because I have been fighting injury problems. We played for each other, and even though we did have chances to score, I am satisfied with the result. There are six matches left and we can still fight for fifth place in the table. The African Cup of Nations? I would love to play at that tournament, but for the time being, I am fully concentrated on Panathinaikos’ games.”
Greens teammate Omri Altman also shared his feelings on the 0:0 tie with the media: “We did have an opportunity to win, but I am pleased with the draw. The result reflects what happened on the pitch. Can we finish in fifth place? It’s feasible! There are six games left in the Super League and we will challenge for fifth position. I feel 100% healthy.”
