Olympiakos Coach Surprised by NEC's Attacking Play
Olympiakos manager José Luis Mendilibar was left stunned after his team faced NEC Nijmegen in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The match, which took place on a hot Tuesday evening, saw NEC start with immense energy and a clear attacking mindset.
‘It was really something we had not expected,’ Mendilibar admitted to Cosmote TV. ‘We even said in training yesterday that this team had not scored for a while and we discussed who might score.’
NEC's pre-season form did not hint at such a performance. The team managed only one goal against Sevilla (1-2) and failed to find the net against SV Elversberg (0-1). However, during their regular training sessions, they displayed more attacking prowess, indicating that Schreuder’s style of play was well-known.
Mixed Feelings from Both Sides
Despite not scoring in the match, NEC created several significant chances. Mendilibar acknowledged this, saying: ‘It was a strange match with a lot of one-on-one situations. They were better in those and that is why they beat us. They were more aggressive and quicker. We struggled to create chances. In that respect, they were better.’
Mendilibar was also critical of his own team’s performance. ‘It was a match in which we lacked a lot. We should have been more aggressive, tougher in the duels and dealt with the referee more cleverly. We knew from the start that he would not give many fouls. We had to adapt. We did not adapt to the opponent, who were more dynamic and stronger.’
The 0-0 scoreline left both teams with hopes for next week’s return leg at De Goffert. Mendilibar remained optimistic: ‘We do not know whether the match will be similar. We will have to play differently and improve many things. Because we were not good today, 0-0 is not a bad result. We expect a similar match from them, qualification is still possible.’
