THE Brighton confronts her AEK at the OPAP Arena and looking to avenge their 3-2 defeat in England by his team Matias Almeida in the premiere of the Europa League.
The coach of the “seagulls”, Roberto De Cerbiin the press conference he gave, he said that it is an honor for the English team to compete at the Union stadium in New Philadelphia, stressing that it will be a very difficult match, since – as he added – the yellow and black are a very good team.
Roberto De Cerbi’s statements in detail:
On how big an achievement in Brighton history it will be to win tomorrow and ultimately finish top of the group: “We want to win. We know it’s difficult, AEK is a very good team, we have to do our best on the pitch and play our game to get the result we want».
On whether it’s worth sacrificing a lower Premier League spot for a European run: “I’m not looking for excuses. I’m focused on the Europa League, but wherever we play we have to give our best. European participation is a challenge, there are injuries, we play in three competitions. But it’s good for the competition, showing our mentality, like in the last match against Nottingham Forest. We like challenges. It’s for the great players and the great coaches».
For injuries: “Igor can play, Ansu and Lambtey are injured. We will focus on those who will play. I don’t know if we will win, but we will play our best game».
On whether his team learned in the European matches in relation to the first game: “The first match was very difficult. We had to manage our emotions. Since then we have adapted, learned and improved. It is normal to have a bad start, now we are in a good moment and we are ready to fight tomorrow».
On the atmosphere Brighton will face at the OPAP Arena: “I don’t know what the atmosphere will be. AEK fans are always by the side of the team. We are honored to play in this stadium. We are lucky to play in this competition and of course it is better to win away than at home».
On whether it’s a matter of mindset for Brighton to cope with the hot atmosphere: “The players know what atmosphere they will face and we are ready to play in full and hot stadiums».
For the refereeing decisions in Brighton matches in the Premier League: “I believe in people and professional referees. Maybe there was a mistake in the last match. Coaches and players make mistakes. There is no behavior issue».
About Joao Pedro and his goals: “There is room for improvement. If he plays matches like with Forest, Marseille and Ajax he can reach the next level».
As far as the players’ side is concerned, o João Pedrostated:
For his appearances: “The first season was difficult but the team helped me fit in and give my best on the pitch and that’s what I want to keep doing».
On being accurate from the penalty spot: “I have lost one in Brazil, not here in Europe. I’m happy to take penalties and I’m gaining confidence. My job is to keep scoring».
On his experience with the Brazilian National Team: “It is my dream. I felt really good, I enjoyed it and I will continue to do my job».
On what he learned from the first match against AEK in September: “It was a tough game. AEK is a strong and physical team. We learned from it and now we have to see where we can improve to do better tomorrow».
Source: Sport Fm
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