Martins: “Our players are ready to face AEK”
The two respective head coaches, Pedro Martins and Nikos Kostenoglou, spoke to the media ahead of the Super League derby between Olympiacos and AEK in Piraeus.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
Both teams come into this important derby with injury problems. Mathieu Valbuena and Yassine Benzia are unavailable for Olympiacos, while Vasilis Barkas, Niklas Hult, Petros Mantalos, Francisco Geraldes and Viktor Klonaridis have all been ruled out for visitors AEK. Olympiacos must also hope that their players have successfully recovered from their gruelling UEFA Champions League battle against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Olympiacos boss Pedro Martins feels that his players are ready to face AEK at the Karaiskakis Stadium:
If his players are ready physically and psychologically after Bayern: “Yes, they feel in good shape and I believe that all of them will be ready to play. Of course, when you compete in Europe, you must create a plan which keeps the players’ physical condition up to scratch. Fitness is very important.”
Thoughts on AEK: “They have high quality players like Mantalos, Marko Livaja and Nelson Oliveira. Yes, they didn’t start the season well, but they are improving. We want to be the best Olympiacos we can be tomorrow in order to win for our supporters. If we win, the gap between Olympiacos and AEK will grow bigger and we want this to happen.”
Tactics: “Livaja is a good player, but we see AEK as a team rather than individuals. AEK often play with different plans and their squad is full of quality players. We are focused on taking advantage of their weaknesses.”
Importance of winning on Sunday: “It’s important because we want the gap between Olympiacos and AEK to increase. However, it’s not a critical game, because we still have the second half of the regular season left before the playoffs begin. There is a chance that the fate of the league title will be decided on the final matchday.”
Criticism of Ruben Semedo: “A player must learn how to deal with both praise and criticism. It’s a normal thing after a bad match. Nevertheless, he is a key member of our team, and he will be given a chance tomorrow.”
Previous derby struggles against Panathinaikos: “There cannot be any comparison between the game against Panathinaikos and this match. In that particular match, we did not play well and Panathinaikos played to their strengths. This time around, we’re playing at our home ground and we have had five days to recover after the Champions League. Our players are in better shape than when they competed against Panathinaikos.”
AEK manager Nikos Kostenoglou stated that the players available will fight against their arch-rivals:
Injury problems: “Unfortunately, we do have problems. We will wait until the final training session to make concrete decisions. However, obstacles are there to be overcome, and the players available are capable of fighting on the pitch. Hult? There is a very large possibility that he will miss this game.”
System: “The most important thing is for the players not to become confused. We don’t have to make our tactics public, but I can say that we will definitely battle on the pitch. The players need to have a clear idea of how to play and we have achieved this.”
Target in Piraeus: “Our goal is always to win. However, while this match is an important derby, it isn’t a final. The season is very long and we will have playoffs. We recognise the ability which Olympiacos possess, but we also have a great team and I am satisfied with the results which we have achieved so far. I want us to perform well. What determines the outcome of a derby? The psychology and performance of the players on the pitch.”
Thoughts on Olympiacos’ strengths: “It is very difficult to play against this strong Olympiacos team at their stadium. Olympiacos had a chance to get a good result against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, and I don’t think that we should be expecting them to be tired. They have a big roster and plenty of different options. We simply have to focus on our own task. Olympiacos are very strong on the wings and on the counter, we have analysed their approach.”
