Martins: “We don’t expect any major changes from Bayern”

The two respective head coaches, Hans-Dieter Flick and Pedro Martins, spoke to the media ahead of the second UEFA Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and Olympiacos.

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Olympiacos need points if they are to challenge for a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League. In their first meeting, Olympiacos gave Bayern Munich a tough test at the Karaiskakis Stadium, but two goals from Youssef El Arabi and Guilherme weren’t enough to earn any points as the German visitors emerged victorious 3-2. Bayern have since changed their manager after receiving a thrashing against Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend.

Hans-Dieter Flick, who recently became the interim head coach after Niko Kovac received the sack, shared his pre-match expectations:

Becoming the interim Bayern boss: “When I was asked to become the head coach, I had no hesitation in saying yes. I am very loyal to this club. I highly regard Niko and Robert Kovac - both as people and colleagues. When they said goodbye to the team this morning, it was very sad.”

Defensive problems: “The goals which we have conceded in recent games are not acceptable for Bayern. We will change some tactical aspects. I want us to hold the initiative and play aggressively. When we have the ball at our feet, we must show our strong qualities.”

Method of working: “I promised myself that I would speak with every player in the team. They will hear what I think of their performances. I think that this is important, because everyone should be equal. I want to talk to every player about their potential and their tasks.”

Thoughts on Olympiacos: “In Piraeus, they showed just how disciplined and compact they can be. They are very good on the flanks and have quality individuals.”

Olympiacos boss Pedro Martins doesn’t expect Bayern to change in a big way:

Expectations after Bayern coaching change: ““In fact, we expect no major changes. Their new coach has had no time to proceed with changes. Maybe tactical alterations will be made, but I think that their philosophy will remain the same.”

Goal for this match: “We weren’t satisfied with the result of the first match against Bayern in Piraeus, you can never be happy when you lose. We played well in that game overall. I hope that tomorrow we will reach the same level of performance. However, we are playing on the road and Bayern have changed their coach, so we have to be more efficient.”

Confidence for the game: “We believe in ourselves and we’re here to do the best we can. Our aspirations are high, and we want to write history at the Allianz Arena. We have to compete with passion and patience, taking advantage of all of the good opportunities which we create.”

Possible changes to the line-up: “Everyone in this squad is important. I always choose the line-up based on the individual match itself. I could tell you the starting line-up now, but I won’t; we have created an atmosphere of trust within the group and I don’t want to ruin that.”

Chance of Mathieu Valbuena playing tomorrow: “It is very likely that he will be a part of the squad on Wednesday. His injury is in the past. He didn’t start against Xanthi because he wasn’t fit enough. Mathieu is a high-quality player, and he’s very skillful on set pieces. After a few training sessions, we can say that he is fully healthy again and ready to play.”

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

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