The coach of Olympiacos, José Luis Mendilibar, spoke after the loss to Leverkusen about the key moments of the match and the “Red-and-whites” chances ahead of the return leg in Germany.
Below follow details of what the experienced coach said:
Are these short spells of a few minutes at UEFA Champions League level capable of destroying your game?
Yes, that’s how it is. The second goal came very quickly before we had time to recover from the first. We wanted to score to stay alive in the tie because we had the chances to do so. We conceded twice in the second half, even though it was a match where we could have scored first. In the end, the game turned completely against us.
Was this one of those matches decided by details, like the disallowed goal or Pirola’s injury?
Without doubt, all of that affected the course of the game. The simultaneous injuries to our defenders were significant. Retsos and Pirola managed to continue until halftime, but Pirola couldn’t carry on in the second half after losing quite a bit of blood. The disallowed goal — correctly ruled out — would have helped us greatly at that moment, as we would have gone into the dressing room having the lead. We conceded twice in a short span before we could react and couldn’t get the goal that might have changed the outlook for the second match.
What was different compared to the League Phase meeting? The head of Bayer 04 Leverkusen said his side managed to withhold the pressure. And does your team’s recent form make you optimistic for the return leg in Germany?
Qualification is difficult after a 2–0 defeat against a strong side. We do have chances, but the percentage is low. Teams don’t change much tactically over two games. If that disallowed goal had counted, things would be very different. A misplaced pass led to the first goal and the second came immediately after. Matches like these are usually decided by specific moments; teams do not change extensively in such matches. What changed tonight was that we didn’t score. We like to press high, while they build from the back — both teams did the same as before, there was no much change in that.
Could this match serve as a starting point for the league campaign as well? After the end, the fans also asked you to win said title.
We ran a lot, fought until the final minute and literally bled — nobody fell short of expectations. We want to keep this level of performance starting with Saturday’s match against Panetolikos. Our aim is to play well, win games and claim the league title.
