Words by Mr Pedro Martins:
On whether it’s true that Bayern are the strongest team in the group: “I have already said yes. Tomorrow, we will fight hard for the win. In Olympiacos, this is how we all operate; we all have faith in the team. Tomorrow, we are to witness a special game and a great display against really strong. We know their might. However, we believe in us and we have our share of chances; all it takes is keeping the faith and putting on a good fight”.
On whether this will be the biggest challenge of the year: “In my career, there have been matches to consider finals; I said so at the onset of the season. Such a match has been the one against Victoria Plzen. My eyes were set on the objective of making it to the group stage, our efforts and preparation for that and so on. I think of our chances for tomorrow, against a big side, a giant in football. We want to put our strengths to the test. But these are things to see tomorrow. However, I cannot say it’s a final. It will be a great match, but, definitely, will not be as crucial as you mentioned”.
On the absence of Valbuena and his decisions: “Certainly, I do have some ideas. We will work on them today as well. You will see them tomorrow on the pitch”.
About the fans: “Keep believing in us and stand by our side. We reckon that tomorrow will be another major European evening. This is the kind of powerful bond we share with our supporters. We want to keep progressing and we will do the best for them”.
On whether the side’s starting XI will feature some surprising caps and whether a draw would satisfy him: “I will never stop saying that Olympiacos never aims at drawing. No matter the opponent, we go for the win. We always strive to build phases and score goals. We will never be happy with the tie. Yesterday was a day of recovery for us. Next 24 hours will be crucial for our plans. You will see some changes compared to our last official match“.
On Bayern’s recent results: “Like all teams, Bayern have weaknesses. The same applies for us and Tottenham Bayern are a team that is very pressing and capable of attacking. We need to be good and focused defensively and take advantage of our opportunities offensively.”
On marking Lewandowski: «Lewandowski is one of the best players in the world. But our defensive line is also working well. He is a player who works well and moves great in attack. We will use our defensive assets to stop him”.
Words by José Sá:
On whether there is some of Bayern’s forward players that stand out for him: “No, I cannot distinguish someone. They are all very good, as are we. Tomorrow, I believe we will watch a really tough match against a very strong opponent”.
On whether he feels intimidated by Bayern’s goal-scoring spree: “It really motivates me; we have also scored in all our matches. They have to know that playing in Karaiskakis is far from easy for any opponent. Therefore, we are strongly motivated for the encounter against Bayern“.
About the fans: «Words are not enough to thank them. It shows they are quite happy and we really strive for them. So, we want them by our side once again. As our coach said, tomorrow we will enjoy a great evening the way they only know how to create”.
