In detail:
Michel
Do you think that this match is going to be much different compared to the one in Lisbon? Is your side close to qualifying to UEFA Champions League next stage?
Certainly, this is a different match. Even if we had wpm in Lisbon, tomorrow’s fixture would be a different one. We must not feel too excited or too assured for the match. The only thing we have to do is walk in the same way and on the same path we took in Lisbon and try to win tomorrow’s fixture. In any case, we prefer thinking of the present and not the past. We don’t want to think what will happen in case we win. We will be thinking of what we must do in order to play well and win the match. And, despite our great performance in Lisbon, things tomorrow will start from scratch for both sides. Weareequal.
Do you agree with Samaris who said that Olympiacos is a squad that adds more passion in its play compared to Benfica? Do you believe that tomorrow’s match will be completely different to the one in Lisbon?
I don’t know that Samaris said before; what I know is that we want to display more soul and passion. It’s not that we lack these components, but this is what we want to display tomorrow. I don’t stick to what I saw in Lisbon a fortnight ago. It would be a big mistake to think that we are tomorrow’s match favorite. We must play as we did in Lisbon at all levels; if we do so, then yes. We will be facing a club of great history, a magnificent club, so we have to be very careful in terms of our degree of our elation.
Benfica leveled the first leg following a mistake by Roberto. As a Benfica player, he used to make many mistakes. Do you believe that this will affect him tomorrow?
Apparently, he was not affected during the Lisbon encounter, nor have we seen him affected at all as long as he’s been with our team. He is a top-level goalkeeper and we hope that tomorrow – that won’t be needed hopefully, but just in case – he will display his top quality.
In this year’s UEFA Champions League campaign, Olympiacos has scored five goals during the run of play and none from set-pieces. On the other hand, the side has conceded goals only following set-pieces. To what extent has the squad been improved in this aspect in training?
In training, we work a lot in set pieces, either in attack or in defense. During the Lisbon fixture, we conceded four corners, of which only one posed any threat. We are not unhappy with that. We are on the right path, despite our continuous extensive work on this. So, it is funny that we earned no corner kicks in Lisbon although we played great. We save them for tomorrow.
In this triplet of fixtures against Panathinaikos, Benfica and PAOK, was the Benfica one your top of the list? Do you have any special plan in case it starts once again pouring down tomorrow night?
Will it again? Is that what they say? (Laughter) For us, the most important match is always the first one that follows. In this case, it is Benfica. What we have to do is getting prepared to win the match; just like we did last Saturday. This is the best way to become a winner. If it rains tomorrow, what we will do is have our raincoats fetched faster than in Lisbon.; plus a suit and a tie.
You have talked a lot in Lisbon about Benfica’s coach (note: Mr Michel had said that “their best player is their coach”). Is there any Benfica player whom you did not expect to stand out and really blew you away?
Yes, I said that because I believed so. I also believed all I said about the coach and the club. Having said, I was not blown away by any individual player’s performance. In Europe, all clubs know one another more or less. This is what we do for a living and our hobby. I really liked the way we played in Lisbon and we want to repeat that tomorrow.
Is Machado ready to play tomorrow?
During the last week, Paulo has been training well and has completed both last sessions with the whole squad. Today, we will have our last test. We want everybody to be 100% fit in order to count them in for tomorrow’s fixture. IwishthatMachadowouldbeready.
Against PSG, Olympiacos was bursting with energy in the first half but then the side slackened in the second. Is it perhaps the key to keep a balance between two halves and better manage one side’s stamina?
I believe that there has been balance in that match against PSG. It was just that we faced a team that can let its strengths shine and hurt you at any given moment. Our balance in UEFA Champions League is very good. We have shown what we are capable of in all matches. We have proven that we may perform at top level, but we are also a team that is not allowed a moment to breathe since our opponents are very good.
In the first leg, we saw that Olympiacos, for its first time in the club’s history of UEFA Champions League fixtures, faced not actual threats. What does it take to have that once again tomorrow? Have you made up your mind about the XI?
Tomorrow, the squad will include all players except for Olaitan. Everyone else will be at our disposal. However, although I have decided about the squad and the starting lineup, we still have one training session ahead and many things may happen. We want to do everything tomorrow like in Lisbon, in the sense of being absolutely focused. There should not be a single moment of lack of concentration. If we do so, then we will display a great matc. And we do rely a lot on Mitroglou, he is a very important player and we are counting on him also for tomorrow’s match.
Andreas Samaris
How much different do you expect tomorrow’s match to be compared to the one in Da Luz?
There are two things for granted: first, we expect that Benfica will be quite improved compared to the match in Portugal and the second –and the most important- is our fans, our home ground that gives empowers us and gives us an edge with respect to the match in Portugal.
From Olympiacos side and given the pressure, how much different will the match be?
Pressure increases because of the result we took out in Lisbon; our fat is purely in our hands in order to take the most decisive –if not the final- step to qualify. Pressure will be heavy both for us and Benfica since they are here to play “all or nothing”. I believe that we will be the winning team at the end of the day. We will give everything on the pitch and I believe the fans will support us.
In case of win, that will seal Olympiacos qualifying to the next stage. It this match a final for you?
I reckon it’s the most important match we have played until now. Mathematically speaking, we cannot secure qualifying to the next stage with two more fixtures to go. It will certainly be the biggest step, but not a final. We will still have two more fixtures in order to assure our qualification mathematically. We play for Olympiacos, so we remember that our side failed to make it through in the past despite collecting 10 points. This year, we have many chances and they all lie in our hands, especially in this match.
You are a starter in Olympiacos, you have been called to the national team, and your coach trusts you. How do you experience all that?
The truth is that, as said in my interview during my official presentation by the club, that I wanted to give everything in order to show I was worthy of my transfer. I still need more work in order to continue playing at this level and become even better. What makes me proud is that I have been improved as a player and an individual during my time with the team. I work hard in training to maintain and enhance my self-confidence, and do justice to my coach and teammates, as well as the fans, who have greatly supported me in my first steps here with Olympiacos.
What do you believe about Benfica? Are afraid of them?
They have many quality players. They are very dangerous in attack. I think that we must be cautious with them, as a team. We all know that they lost 3 titles in the very last minutes. We have to stay focused during all 90 minutes, so as not to let them do us any damage, since they are able to score at any moment. We respect them, but we have nothing to be afraid of.
Did you have the chance to talk with Saviola about Benfica? If yes, what did he tell you?
Javier and Roberto talked us from the first moment after the draw. They told us that their home stadium is a tough one and they were proven right; also, in general it is a good team that fields players who are top ones in European context. The team of course has changed with respect to the times both (Saviola and Roberto) used to play in, but it still remain high. They also told us that they can do us some damage at any given moment.
What are your edges from Benfica and how important was your win at the Greek ‘classico’ ahead of tomorrow’s match?
Certainly, the win over Panathinaikos meant a strong psychological boost ahead of our next matches. I would say that we outperform them in terms of passion, strength, intensity that we emit while playing. I also believe we have a world class striker, Kostas Mitroglou. I also think that we have top individuals, experienced players and a great goalkeeper. All in all, if we manage to be who we have to be and follow our coach’s instruction, then I think we are a better team compared to Benfica.
