Martins: “We must stick to our philosophy”
The two respective head coaches, Pedro Martins and Okan Buruk, spoke to the media ahead of the first match of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round between Olympiacos and Basaksehir.
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In the second qualifying round, Olympiacos thrashed Viktoria Plzen 4:0 in Piraeus to advance, but Basaksehir are a step up in quality. Boasting famous names such as Robinho and Arda Turan, the Turks are a dangerous proposition to face, but Olympiacos do have the advantage of hosting the decisive second leg at the intimidating Karaiskakis Stadium.
In his press-conference, head coach Pedro Martins shared his expectations for the first match in Turkey:
Advice from Mathieu Valbuena after he played in Turkey with Fenerbahce: “Yes, we have spoken with Mathieu and some other players about playing in the Turkish league. We like to take advantage of any extra information available to us. We are fully aware of the dangers which the opponents pose.”
Qualities Olympiacos need to win: “The players must not forget their style of playing and identity. We have to play in accordance with our philosophy. However, at the same time, we have to be cautious because the opponents have high quality players in their squad. They have proven that they deserve to be in the group stages of the Champions League, but only one team has the chance to make it. We want to be strong as a team.”
What would be classified as a good result on Wednesday: “The best result would be to win. Nevertheless, we can’t forget that this is a two-legged tie. Traditionally, we’re strong at home. I believe that we are strong enough to achieve our goal of advancing to the next stage of the competition.”
Comparison of Basaksehir to Viktoria Plzen: “Individually speaking, the players of Basaksehir are stronger than Viktoria Plzen, but both clubs share the same philosophy. Teams improve with 15 more days of training under their belts. We have improved a lot since the first match in the Czech Republic. Basaksehir have plenty of quality players and a good mentality.”
Basaksehir boss Okan Buruk understands the threat which Olympiacos pose his team:
Expectations for the duel against Olympiacos: “We will fight to win, because we really want to progress. We understand that our opponents have a good team with plenty of experience. In the previous round, I saw their matches against Viktoria Plzen, and we know what to expect from Olympiacos. The tie will be decided over the course of 180 minutes.”
Feelings of coaching in the UEFA Champions League: “When I played for Galatasaray, we won matches in this tournament. This is a big test for me as a coach. Basaksehir have a good team, new players have arrived, and we have become stronger. I would like to give 18 players a chance on the pitch, but only 11 can be included in the starting line-up.”
Leading Olympiacos players: “They have four very good attacking players. Of course, I know Mathieu Valbuena from his time in the Turkish Super Lig. Miguel Angel Guerrero is a great player too. Their full-backs contribute a lot to their aggressive play.”
The priority for the season: “We want to qualify for the group stages and see how we perform in Europe. European games are important for us.”
