Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar emphasized during the press conference following the away win against Atromitos that his team missed several chances to close the game out earlier, which gave their opponent the opportunity to fight for more.
Here follows in detail words by our side’s experienced coach:
“A summary of the match is that we started well, entered the game strongly, and created chances while scoring two goals. We had control of the match, but Atromitos managed to reduce the score in their only opportunity. In the second half, we made also a strong start, created more chances but failed to score a third goal. At a certain point, the dynamics of the match changed. Atromitos put pressure on us and came close to equalizing with the penalty. Overall, that’s how the game unfolded.”
This might have been the first match this season where Olympiacos created so many chances. What went wrong, and why didn’t your team close the game out?
“These things happen. You always try to score, but what matters is being effective. Sometimes, no matter how many chances you create, the goal doesn’t come. There’s no clear explanation for this. It could be a lack of clinicality on our part or an excellent performance from the opposing goalkeeper. We practice finishing in training, but Atromitos gained belief after our missed chances and began to threaten and exploit their strengths. While we work to improve, it’s hard to explain why this happens.”
What stands out more for you: satisfaction with the performance or frustration over the last minutes and the opponent’s opportunity to equalize?
“A bit of both. When the game ends and you’ve secured the three points, there’s a sense of relief, and you tell yourself you’ve achieved the desired result. However, with the way we played, the match shouldn’t have been as close as it was. We should have finished it earlier. Aside from the penalty, the opponent had other chances, and we weren’t defensively solid. We allowed them to get close to our goal, and that shouldn’t have happened.”
Do you believe wins like thes lead to titles?
“This was the type of game where you could get equalized at the end and drop points. Now that we’ve secured the win, we have an opportunity to extend our lead over the other teams. I’ve often said that championships aren’t won solely by defeating title contenders but also by beating teams like this.”
A comment on Tzolakis and the penalty save.
“I didn’t see the penalty live, nor have I watched a replay yet. I will certainly review it, but at this moment, I can’t comment on his save. You know I never watch penalties, whether it’s ours or the opponents’.
