Martins: “We know that the opponents will wait to counter”
The two respective head coaches, Pedro Martins and Vladan Milojevic, spoke to the media ahead of the decisive UEFA Champions League battle between Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
Olympiacos’ last chance to finally register a win in the group stage of the Champions League again arrives at a crucial time. Currently languishing in last place of Group B, Olympiacos have only tallied one point in the previous five games, but a victory against Red Star Belgrade in Piraeus will take them into the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa League. Any other result will result in Olympiacos suffering elimination from European football.
Pedro Martins explained his pre-match thoughts:
Defeat in Belgrade: “That match was purely for three points, whereas this game is for qualification. I think that we will see a good spectacle tomorrow, and hopefully, we will emerge victorious. We are prepared to play at our best in order to achieve qualification to the Europa League. Yassine Benzia? Other players are doing well at the moment, and he has dealt with some injury problems. Mathieu Valbuena, Mohamed Camara and Guilherme are all in better shape. Will be play tomorrow? He is available, just like everyone else.”
What qualities Olympiacos need to win: “We must control both our emotions and the game itself. We must be aggressive and focused, not making any mistakes. We know that the opponents will wait to counter, so competent ball control is required.”
Importance of this match for the club: “All of our players are looking forward to this match, they have ambitions and they want to compete in high-level competitions. We’re used to playing in finals, we were in the same situation against Viktoria Plzen, Basaksehir, Krasnodar and PAOK. We understand the importance of this game to our fans and the club.”
Confidence in victory: “Yes, I am very confident in my team. I believe in our ability and the quality which we have showed in every game, except for the match in Munich. We lost all of the other matches due to details. Overall, we have performed well in Europe this season, and the supporters have helped us greatly. We’re confident that we can win tomorrow.”
Struggles when Mathieu Valbuena doesn’t play: “It’s important that we are capable of playing well when he doesn’t compete.”
Vladan Milojevic also shared his expectations for the duel in Piraeus:
Mindset for this match: “When we talk about big matches, it means that they have great meaning. My philosophy is that all games are both special and important. If we achieved qualification to the next phase of European competition, it would be a great victory not just for our club, but also for Serbian football as a whole. We’ve been playing non-stop for the last six months, but we now have a chance to do something fantastic for us, our fans and Serbia. The challenge lies with our players. We must do our best.”
Thoughts on Olympiacos: “Olympiacos like to play modern football as a team. In the past, they played more as individuals. When Olympiacos are at home, they’re always favourites, but tomorrow the better team will win. We’re looking forward to play against a great opponent.”
Injury issues: “Apart from the injured Dusan Jovanovic, all players are available and we have taken 20 of them to Greece. Richmond Boakye? He’s ready and in good shape.”
