Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar spoke after the match against Pafos at the League Phase of the UEFA Champions League.
In detail, what the Spanish coach of the “red-and-whites” had to say:
Olympiacos seemed quite nervous, perhaps even more than in the final against Fiorentina. Do you agree with that view?
I don’t know if it was that we weren’t at our best today or that we felt more pressure, but after the sending-off we should have raised our tempo, pressed higher and moved the ball faster. We gave possession away too often, and our final decisions lacked precision. The opponent defended well, and that’s why the game ended the way it did.
Is the lack of goals against teams like this mainly an issue of creativity? And what’s the solution?
It’s hard to say if it’s down to our offensive play or the strong defensive setup of the opponent. You can’t compare a Champions League game with the Greek league. In Europe, every team gives their absolute best, much more than in their domestic competitions – it’s the highest level of club football. We need to be more clinical when we get our chances. Pafos reacted well even after going down to ten men, and they made it difficult for us. We should have done better than we do in the domestic league.
Were you caught by surprise with the opponent playing three at the back? And do you believe your attack will improve in the upcoming Champions League games?
It was the first time they used three at the back, but it didn’t throw us off. We’ve faced other teams with that system before. Their defense read the game well, but it was up to us to show more on the pitch. We need to focus and be better in the future.
Do you think the absence of Gelson Martins was felt tonight?
He is an important player, and everyone knows how much he contributed last season. But we’ve built a squad that shouldn’t depend on the absence of any single player.
Pafos had already played six competitive matches at this level, compared to fewer for Olympiacos. Did that make a difference?
Of course, they’ve played many competitive matches and important ones too, since they went through qualifiers to get here. That helped them settle into the game, but it can’t be an excuse for us. We also played strong friendlies and have already started the domestic season. We should have been ready for such an important game.
