«We are trying for the best»
PAOK coach Vladan Ivić spoke to Novasports about the upcoming encounter against Panathinaikos in Leoforos. Here is what he said:
On his conclusions from the first play-off game:
«We started off on the right foot. We managed to do what we wanted right from the start and won the game. It wasn’t easy as we were trailing by half-time, but managed to turn things around. It was important for everyone, but now we have turned the page. We only think about the next game«.
On the team’s problems in set pieces:
«Our opponents were strong in dead-ball situations. Meanwhile, we lacked the composure to defend them properly. We need to work on this part of our game «.
On concentration:
«Each game is almost 95 minutes long. Every player on the pitch must keep their concentration each moment, each second. Be in high alert. Lack of concentration gets punished almost immediately in a game and we want to avoid that. We will try to make the most of our rivals’ errors. In my opinion, everything starts from the brain, a footballer plays with his brain. That is where it all starts«.
On how they handle back-to-back games:
«Physical and mental preparation go hand in hand. You can’t separate them and you need to work on both. Nowadays, the players’s proper recuperation between games is highly important. We don’t have time for much in trainings. We need to fine-tune some details«.
On the probable return to action of injured players:
«We are expecting the MRI of Miguel Vítor to see how he is progressing, but I don’t expect him to be ready for the Panathinaikos game. Berbatov is training at a higher pace every day and he will be joining the team soon. I can’t tell you now if he will be available for Sunday’s game. Mak ran a fever for three days, but today he trained again and I believe that he will be ready by Sunday and we will be able to count on him«.
On the encounter against Panathinaikos:
«We know what we want and how we want to play. My main concern is for the players to understand what I ask of them. Regarding Panathinaikos, they are a big team with good players and we are playing in their home ground. I expect an open match, hopefully it will be a good one and may the best team win«.
On PAOK not winning high-profile matches away:
«That may be true, but as I stated again, we have good players and we know what we want. We will try to change this situation in the play-offs. We are making a huge effort and I believe we can achieve our goals«.
