Satisfaction was what Carlos Corberan expressed following Olympiacos display in Cyprus against Apollon Limassol. The “red-and-whites” Spanish coach stressed that our side was better to previous matches, adding that there is still room for improvement ahead of the matches to follow.
Details of Carlos Corberan press conference following the 1-1 away draw to Apollon Limassol for the UEFA Europa League play off:
Do you think that the final 1-1 was fair given Olympiacos display?
In the beginning, I think we found it hard to start the match and adapt ourselves. From 25’ onwards, we were quite improved, better in defense and offense and I think that we did create many chances. We could have scored one more goal to get the win. In the last minutes of the match anything could have happened, for or against us, so the draw was a balanced result.
What was Apollon’s quality that took you by surprise? Do you believe that qualifying is a 50-50 thing?
Apparently, when the result is level, all things show that the second leg will determine who qualifies. We will do anything to advance; this is our objective. In that match our objective will be to win.
We witnessed Hwang’s promising debut. What more is he to give Olympiacos?
As we saw, Hwang’s presence was very important for us. Not only because he scored, but for his overall contribution on the pitch, on how he supported the team and secured our side’s balance.
Do you have some initial update on Hwang’s injury?
No, we hope it is not something serious as the Olympiacos staff told us. We saw some muscular discomfort and this was because he hadn’t played a match for a month.
We see that your trust goes to Kunde from the first day you joined the club. A few words on the African footballer.
I do think that Kunde, playing next to M’Vila, provides firmness in our ball possession. He helps the team rule proceedings. I understand that Kunde made a mistake when Apollon scored, but the fact he was not disheartened after the 1-0, shows he has got the quality and character needed to be a protagonist and play for the club. And, besides, he was better after the break compared to the first half.
What do you expect to see from Olympiacos in the return match?
We saw our team being more balanced in both defense and offense, because I have worked more with the players. In the return match, we will hopefully see more things in order to get close to the objective already set.
