Lucescu: “We didn’t score and that made the difference – The first half is over, we’re going to Athens for the qualification”

Razvan Lucescu raised the issue of inefficiency, explaining at the press conference why PAOK lost to Panathinaikos, which the Romanian coach emphasized that his team did not deserve.

At the same time, Lucescu referred both to the use of Yoni Otto and to the reaction of Tyson, while he did not fail to express his belief in the reversal-qualification in the Avenue rematch.

What he said in detail:

On what went wrong and whether the layoffs derailed the team: “The result was wrong for us and it didn’t go well. The big and most chances were ours and it was not a match we should have lost. Panathinaikos was solid in defense and looked to play in transitions. We had a chance with Brandon with the keeper save and another shortly after. In the second half, from the 50th minute to the 60th minute, we lost control and Panathinaikos scored a goal and missed another good chance. Then we took control again, had some chances but couldn’t score. We pushed until the end and I think we should have scored, we deserved a goal. It’s a shame we didn’t score a goal, the changes helped us. These things happen in football, the first half is over and we will go to Athens to fight to return from there with qualification for the final. We have the obligation to fight with all our strength.”

On the fact that Panathinaikos struck from Oto’s side, if it was a risk to suddenly play as a starter and on Tyson’s reaction: “Yoni is an experienced player, with great performances from games like this and he was our choice to play today. He showed personality and played a good game. Maybe he found himself alone in some situations, but I can’t say he wasn’t good. In the first half, I don’t remember Panathinaikos having a chance, but in the second half, situations were created mainly from our left side, as in the goal we conceded, but the responsibility is overall. It’s a bad moment for us because in the last two games, we’ve managed to score just once after many chances, and it’s disturbing to me. There is one more match against Panathinaikos and we have fought many battles this year in similar situations. It is purely a matter of faith. For a player who has will, feelings, hopes in a game”.

For Tyson: “Probably, this whole scene, with Bakaseta in the theater that he did in the penalty shootout here in Toumba in the game 10 days ago, as the theater did today, affected him. Panathinaikos should stop sending me these… letters because I am telling the truth. Panathinaikos is in favor, the refereeing pisses him off. It was a reaction that wasn’t right, for a player like him, he had to keep his anger inside.”

On whether this eleven was the best possible for the match or was it management: “It was a matter of management, as we have done throughout the season. We manage every game in front of us, we have players that we have used and players that have to play. It was also a matter of what lies ahead and what came before after we had a game with AEK where we wasted a lot of energy. The result is not good, we missed chances and the game was in the balance. We didn’t manage to score and that made the difference.”

For the permanently… hypnotized start to the second half and for not getting anything from his strikers in big games: “We can’t judge only the forwards. It is the staff midfielders, the midfielders, the wingers, the set-pieces that we can get goals, especially in derby matches. We don’t score with our strikers and that’s the situation. In the last two matches, neither Panathinaikos nor AEK scored with their attackers. If there’s one thing I’m unhappy about, it’s about our management of the times we dominate the pitch. We had a difficult match on Sunday, we are unlucky to have two consecutive important games in three days and this has made us lose a lot of mental energy. We could have avoided the goal, especially in dealing with the cross before the ball went into the area. We will go to Athens for the upset and qualification”.

For the coexistence of Despodov and Zivkovic in the lineup: “It depends on the opponent and the situation. Konstantelias played as a substitute with AEK and today he was sick, he could not play. After Sunday, Tyson was unable to play from the start. The solution was to play with this formation, with Despodov on the left. It’s obvious that they both want to play on the right, Despontov is easier to play on the left.”