Olympiacos will face Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Tuesday (24/02, 22:00) in Germany at the BayArena, in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-offs. Ahead of Tuesday’s match, head coach José Luis Mendilibar and player Rodinei spoke at the pre-match press conference.
In detail, here is what the experienced coach had to say:
After two matches at the “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium, what have you seen ahead of the game in Germany and what must Olympiacos do to chase qualification?
We must have the courage required to play our own game, be aggressive and win back the balls we need in order to have more possession compared to the previous two matches. We need better control of the ball to produce a better overall performance.
February has had both good and bad moments. What is your mindset ahead of such an important match?
We have come here with hope and expectations to play a new match. We don’t focus on the game we won or the one we lost. We are focused on the future, not the past, and we don’t dwell on either the positives or the negatives from previous matches.
Will you use parts of the speech you gave before the match against Maccabi?
No, I won’t use that speech because it a while ago. It was also a different competition and a different opponent. We are not looking back at that qualification; we’re focused on the one we want to secure now. The positive thing is that there is no ‘must’, and we have to take advantage of that. We want to play a good match and win. If we can win by more than two goals and qualify, even better.
Do you think it is crucial which team goes through? And if Olympiacos are that team, would you prefer to go 0–1 up in the 20th minute or in the 70th?
I don’t think about such details or about the exact minute a goal might come. You cannot predict these things in football. At the “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium it took them an hour to score against us, but within a few minutes they scored twice. We must not give the opponent the advantage of controlling possession and creating chances. We have to impose our own game and not focus on whether a goal comes in the 20th minute or not.
The opposing coach said he is facing an excellent opponent. Also, he rotated his team in the previous league match. How do you interpret that?
All of that shows respect for us, but at this level everyone respects their opponents. It also shows that nothing is decided yet and that he wants to convince his players they must still fight for qualification, because what they achieved in the first match does not mean the qualification is over.
There was mention earlier of what you will say to your players and of past victories. Olympiacos have secured some big away wins during this period. Does that give the team confidence?
I think it only helps in the sense that we’ve done it before, but it remains difficult. It’s like winning the UEFA Champions League: just because you have won it once doesn’t mean you are the favourite to win it every time. We are here to fight for our chances. The fact that we have done it before does not make us favourites to do it again.
Rodinei: “We will do our best for our fans”
How do you feel knowing that thousands of Greek fans will be in the stadium to support the team, despite the first-leg result?
We’re always grateful to our supporters because they are always with us and back us. They know the first result was negative, but they will once again stand by us as they always do. We will try to repay them by doing everything we can for them and for Olympiacos.
In the first match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen you provided two assists, and their coach mentioned set pieces. Where do you think the match will be decided?
In football, set pieces are important and can create goal-scoring opportunities. But we have an overall game plan. Set pieces are always a chance to score, but it’s not just about that. We must stay focused on our plan and try to deliver our best performance.
Without comparing the two situations, quite a few people are reminded of the tie against Maccabi and the comeback Olympiacos achieved.
None of us focus on the past – whether it’s Maccabi, Aston Villa or other big qualifications we have achieved. Those were different teams and different competitions. We all think about the fact that we are Olympiacos players, wearing this important shirt, and that we must fight for every possibility and give our best. If I were a fan, I would also think about Maccabi or other great moments. But what happened then doesn’t mean it will happen now. We must focus on this match and stay concentrated.
Does chasing the result reduce the pressure on you and shift it to the opponent?
I don’t think we consider whether there is pressure or not – not only in this match but in any match. What matters is following our coach’s instructions. Every game is different. We have the opportunity to play another UEFA Champions League match, which is a dream for all of us. I don’t want to think about pressure. We need to enjoy the game, follow the coach’s instructions and do our very best. It’s a UEFA Champions League match and we must make the most of it.
