In the aftermath of Olympiacos' disappointing 1-3 loss to Panathinaikos, coach José Luis Mendilibar faced the press to dissect his team's performance and address their recent setbacks.
"We didn't play well today," Mendilibar admitted, reflecting on the match. "It's true that ... every time they reach our area, we suffer a lot. That we struggle to defend inside the area."
Mendilibar, in the Olympiacos 1-3 Panathinaikos post-match presser: “We didn't play well today (…) It's true that... every time they reach our area, we suffer a lot. That we struggle to defend inside the area.”@Gate7Intl pic.twitter.com/GVdgeediLS
— Manu Meza (@manuelmezacfs) March 10, 2024
Analyzing the defensive lapses that led to conceding goals, Mendilibar emphasized, "Both the Maccabi game and this one, most of the goals have been while we were defending with all ... or with many players inside the area. And ... these are things we have to solve. It can't be that ... we have more defenders than forwards and only one appears, right?"
Reflecting on Olympiacos' recent form, Mendilibar acknowledged, "We had … started the League or the season with six wins. We've lost the last two. And, also, I think we lost against two teams that ... have shown to be better than us."
Highlighting the dominance of their opponents in recent matches, Mendilibar commented, "When we arrived, we beat PAOK, we also eliminated Ferencváros, but now, in these last two matches, the opponents have been much better than us. They have dominated almost every aspect of the game."
Addressing the missed opportunities and pivotal moments in the match, Mendilibar noted, "They've had more ball possession, and every time they reached the area, as the Panathinaikos coach said, they've been accurate." He added, "These are details that, in the end, decide the matches."
Looking ahead, Mendilibar expressed determination to bounce back, stating, "But, well, we had 45 minutes to keep trying, and in those 45 minutes that we've been on, we haven't created the danger that we should have, at least to have drawn the game."
Mendilibar: “It's in our hands; there's still no league winner among the top four teams, nor a loser, I believe. We'll have opportunities, for sure. We'll have to improve our game compared to what we've done in these last two matches.”@Gate7Intl pic.twitter.com/kHSheE9O8Y
— Manu Meza (@manuelmezacfs) March 10, 2024
Despite the setbacks, Mendilibar remained optimistic about Olympiacos' prospects, saying, "It's in our hands; there's still no league winner among the top four teams, nor a loser, I believe. We'll have opportunities, for sure. We'll have to improve our game compared to what we've done in these last two matches."
Ending on a positive note, Mendilibar looked forward to utilizing the upcoming break to regroup and prepare for future challenges, stating, "The good thing now is that we have no matches in two weeks and we have time to prepare with the international break. We still have the match against Maccabi, but then we'll have enough time to prepare ... I believe there's still nothing lost."
José Luis Mendilibar's assessment of Olympiacos' recent performance highlights the need for defensive improvement and strategic adjustments. Despite setbacks, Mendilibar remains optimistic about the team's prospects, aiming to regroup during the upcoming break and make a strong comeback in future matches.