Below, what Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar had to say after the 1-1 draw with Rangers at “G. Karaiskakis”.
Detailed statements from the experienced coach’s press conference:
Before the match, you mentioned that both teams were balanced. Do you consider the draw a fair result?
The truth is, we did say that the two teams were evenly matched, and it was proven on the field. But we can also say that Rangers were better than us. Although we scored first, they were quicker to every ball. For us, the 1-1 draw was a good result, though I’m not sure if they feel the same way.
Did it seem to you that Rangers adopted some defensive tactics similar to certain Greek teams?
I think what they did was play a direct style of football, which prevented us from approaching their area, and we couldn’t press high as we usually do. They won most of the balls and dominated in many parts of the game. I don’t think they played as defensively as some Greek teams do, but their direct play and long balls prevented us from implementing our high-pressure game effectively.
Was Apostolopoulos’ substitution due to tactics, or was he injured? Also, are you satisfied with the seven points at this stage of the competition?
Apostolopoulos is a team player, and after Ortega’s injury, we made certain decisions about who would replace him. In this match, we decided Apostolopoulos would fill in for Ortega. His substitution was for tactical reasons. The seven points are what we deserve based on our performances so far—whether we like it or not, these are the points we earned.
Do you believe that these seven points keep Olympiacos alive for qualification to the next round?
We can’t predict what will happen next. There are two ways to advance: either finish in the top eight or go through the qualifiers. Of course, there’s also the chance of not advancing at all. With the new format of the competition, surprises are possible. We’ll all wait to see how many points the other teams gather, and I hope we earn the points we need in the upcoming matches to qualify.
