THE PAOK suffered a heavy home defeat by a score 4-1 from Olympiakos in Toumba for the 23rd matchday of the Stoiximan Super League, as a result of which he fell from the top of the standings, while putting the “red and whites” in the battle for the title.
After the end of the match, Razvan Lucescu spoke at the press conference both about the progress of the match and the details that decided tonight’s match, as well as about the upcoming second semi-final of the Greek Cup against Panathinaikos.
Razvan Lucescu’s statements in detail:
On what went wrong and if it worries him that he didn’t get the third derby in a row: “It doesn’t bother me. Football is like that and every match is different. It has its own history, its own characteristics do not connect the three matches to each other. We have a difficult schedule these 10 days and today is a match that we can because we were not afraid to build attacks and went for big passes. We didn’t defend well, we didn’t have intensity in our pressure especially in the first 30 minutes. We gave possession to the opponent to create phases.
We made it 1-1 and went with it at half-time, having the upper hand in the last 20 minutes in the first half. After the 0-1 we went up, we did phases and got psychological. What happened in the second goal, I can’t remember the last time I saw it. In a static phase, almost all players had their backs turned to the ball discussing something, giving the opponent a chance to execute and score.
Olympiacos scored four very easy goals and we conceded the first two goals like beginners. The big difference is that for us it was even pass, pass, pass, pass and shot, while at Olympiakos it was… pass-pass and goal. All this brought defeat and with this image in general it was easy for the opponent.
In the first goal we had a face on the ball but we didn’t react well, in the second goal it’s… unbelievable. We need to overcome this in general. I didn’t like the way we pressed, the way we defended today, I don’t like the way we attacked. Every season in all teams there are ups and downs, some periods with good times and some with bad times. We created chances, missing them is another matter. The only positive thing from this match is that we once again created phases. From now on we have to do… restart and come back with reaction, responsibility and good psychology. I feel that a situation is being created where we lose the solid image of the group, there are times when we make mistakes and it seems that the concentration on the pitch is lost.
These things can happen in games and the most important thing is to react and change what we don’t like. I have the impression that we don’t start the games mentally as we should and we wait for something negative to happen in order to return to the image we want to have.”
On the reaction of the world after the heavy defeat and if it surprises him: “I am not surprised by the reaction of the people because the people understand. He understands us that we are in a difficult period and knows that everything we do is to give our best. I didn’t speak to my players at all after the match, I usually speak to show them what I’m thinking but today I didn’t say anything. I will talk to them tomorrow about the match in Leoforos and to qualify for Athens because it is an important match in this turning point we are going through”.
For attackers and their harvest: “We have talked about it, in this season we have scored 100 goals, we are in all the competitions and I don’t understand why we talk about forwards.
Here we are, having a bad time. Why talk only about strikers? We talk about the team in general. We didn’t play the way he could and went for big balls, so we didn’t have control of the traffic. In any case they are things to look at and return with confidence to good performances.
I want to see the team perform differently like for example with Atromitos. We showed that we don’t have the psychology to build attacks today and also against Panathinaikos. We don’t want to play with big balls, because it’s easier to lose the ball that way. We have to change some things maybe to get to where we were or where we want to get to.”
Source: Sport Fm
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