Ouzounidis takes pride in effort, Kovac satisfied with points
After losing to Bayern Munich at home in the UEFA Champions League, AEK manager Marinos Ouzounidis was proud of his players’ efforts, while Niko Kovac felt the visitors controlled proceedings.
With the support of a packed Olympic Stadium, AEK enjoyed a solid first half against their illustrious opponents, keeping Bayern at arm’s length while Ezequiel Ponce went close with a thunderous effort. Slowly growing in belief, the Greek champions began the second stanza with real confidence, but Javi Martinez bundled in to burst AEK’s bubble on 61 minutes before Robert Lewandowski tapped home from point blank range just 120 seconds later. AEK failed to conjure a response as Bayern comfortably tallied a 2:0 victory which leaves the Enosis pointless at the foot of Group E.
In his press-conference, AEK boss Marinos Ouzounidis shared his pride with the media: “We tried our best, but these two teams are at different levels right now,” stated Ouzounidis. “I stand by my players, they did everything possible. These games give you the opportunity to see the gap between us and Europe’s leading clubs, and how we can improve.
Unfortunately, we conceded the goals at a bad time in the second half just moments after Anastasios Bakasetas and Viktor Klonaridis missed chances. Bayern can punish you within an instant. Matches like this give players valuable experience and we should perform better in the next Champions League games.”
Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac noted the Greeks’ solid defence and was pleased to pick up the three points: “Greeks are known for solid defences, but we were better in the 90 minutes and managed to score the key goals,” stated the former Croatian international footballer. “The fans created a fantastic atmosphere and we played against a good team, however our players were stronger. I had no reason to change the line-up after beating Wolfsburg. Did AEK cause us problems? We knew it would be a tough match. They played with passion and made our lives difficult.”
AEK midfielder Konstantinos Galanopoulos, who caught the eye with an impressive showing in midfield, felt the team lost concentration for the two Bayern goals: “Against a team like Bayern, you must be concentrated 100% of the time, but we lost it for the two markers. If we would have been a bit lucky and scored a goal, the result would be different. We’re playing at a good level. My performance? Andre Simoes and I could have done more.”
For his part, Viktor Klonaridis thanked the fans for their support, promising to fight to the end in the upcoming Champions League matches: “We expected a very difficult match,” said the 26-year old Belgium born attacker. “Nevertheless, despite the result, we played really well. The atmosphere inside the stadium was brilliant. Will the game be even tougher in Munich? Yes, I think it will be, but we’ll fight to the end.”
Bayern’s Dutch winger Arjen Robben thought that AEK gave the Bavarians a good test in Athens: “In the first half, we played well, but the ball didn’t go in. Our two goals killed the game and one more victory in Munich should seal qualification. AEK made it tough for us, and in two weeks’ time, I’m sure they’ll do the same in Germany. We’re playing at a high level at the moment.”
by Shaun Nicolaides
Image Source: sport-fm.gr
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