Martins: “The supporters are our weapon”
Pedro Martins and Sergei Matveev, the two respective coaches, spoke to the media ahead of the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff tie between Olympiacos and FC Krasnodar.
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The group stages are within touching distance. Having ruthlessly swept past Viktoria Plzen and Basaksehir, Olympiacos look in good shape, but Russian outfit Krasnodar will give the Erythrolefki a real challenge in their quest to qualify for the group phase. Krasnodar impressively defeated Porto in the third qualifying round.
Pedro Martins shared his expectations:
Factor of the first leg being at home: “Our approach won’t change, this isn’t the first time when we have played the first leg in Piraeus. This happened against Burnley last year. The qualification is decided in two matches, not one.”
Main weapon against Krasnodar: “The similarity between Viktoria Plzen, Basaksehir and Krasnodar is that they all fight for the title in their respective countries. They will want to impose their style of football. Krasnodar are a good team offensively, moving the ball well and scoring lots of goals. They have great qualities which allow them to dominate matches. From our side, we must be focused and careful. We must use possession of the ball effectively. A weapon for us is our supporters. Everyone knows how important this tie is both for the club and the players individually.”
Possible line-up changes: “There are many factors which affect the preparation for a game. During the week, a certain player prove that he’s currently playing at a higher level than a teammate, and a particular match might suit a different player more. We want to continue achieving positive results.”
Surprise of Krasnodar defeating Porto: “Even when Porto won the first match, I knew that nothing was decided. Krasnodar are an organised, high-level team which plays well on the counterattack. They are a quality team both individually and collectively.”
Krasnodar’s players: “They have well-known players with plenty of quality. However, despite their individual talent, it is their collectiveness which makes them a good team.”
Ideal result in Piraeus: “Of course, the ideal result for us would be to win without conceding any goals. The qualification will be decided over the course of the two games. Krasnodar proved against Porto that the first match doesn’t decide the outcome of the tie.”
News about David Blatt’s health: “I hope that his health improves and he can continue doing the job he loves. Basketball and sport both need him. I send him my regards.”
Murad Musaev is the Krasnodar head coach, but due to the lack of the required UEFA licence, he cannot speak to the media or sit on the bench. His assistant, Sergei Matveev attended the press-conference instead:
Injury problems: “Remy Cabella is with us, and there is a large possibility he will play. There is a chance that Ari will recover in time for the second leg in Russia. Aleksandr Martynovich received an injury.”
Dangerous Olympiacos players: “I would like to point out Mathieu Valbuena, he leads the team with his play. He takes the vast majority of their set-plays which resulted in Olympiacos scoring goals in the previous rounds. Olympiacos have a very interesting, strong team, and we’re expecting a tough match.”
Possible tactics used by Olympiacos: “It’s difficult for me to say. We will try to be ready for any approach they take. The fact that Olympiacos haven’t conceded a single goal in four Champions League matches shows they have been playing well in defence. However, we want to score tomorrow, because we understand how important away goals are.”
Where head coach Murad Musaev will watch the game: “Sorry, but I won’t be answering that question.”
