Alguacil Speaks Before League Clash, Says “It Will Be a Difficult, Demanding Game”

Olympiacos have had quite a strong start to their season, and are due to enter a taxing run of fixtures that includes an UEFA Europa League clash with French club Rennes, and a derby with PAOK. However, before any of that, Thrylos have another hurdle to cross: AE Kifisia FC, a club that has always proved difficult for the Red and Whites to beat.

According to a report by media outlet Gazzetta.gr, before the two teams clash in a ninth-round fixture of the Super League Greece, Thrylos manager Imanol Alguacil spoke to Magenta TV about his team's preparations for the match and an in-form Kifisia FC led by manager Sebastián Leto. At the same time, goalkeeper Balsa Popovic also spoke about his team's defensive success and consecutive clean sheets, and what might motivate their opponents.

Alguacil, when asked about whether he expected such a strong start to the season, the Basque manager admitted that he had not expected it, particularly in terms of numbers. He said, “Well, I hadn't imagined it. Or, at least, I hadn't calculated it in numbers. But I knew that Olympiacos must always win. When a team is claiming titles in three competitions and even starts as a favorite in all three, it is obvious that it must win matches.”

The former Real Sociedad player also admitted the important role that the players, the technical staff, and the employees at Rentis have played in order to ensure that the club keeps on performing at the highest level, adding, “...a coach, without all these people, is nothing.”

On the match against Kifisia FC, Alguacil admitted that the game is going to be a tough one, given that their record against Olympiacos has been, especially when playing at their home ground, very impressive. He said, “It will be a difficult, demanding game. We are facing a tough opponent who always makes it difficult for Olympiacos, especially when we play at their home ground. So we know that we have to present our best selves.”

The manager expressed relief at the fact that he has almost the entirety of his squad available at his disposal, with the exclusion of striker Ayoub El Kaabi and midfielder Yusuf Yazici, who are out due to injury. He can, thus, make necessary shuffles to the squad so that every player gets optimal rest before the challenging fixtures ahead. The manager also said that against Kifisia FC, their goal will be to replicate their good performances in the league and in Europe.

When asked about whether he has the Rennes match in mind, Alguacil said that since the match against Kifisia is nearer to home, it does not worry him much as the players will have enough time to rest before they travel to France for their Europa League tie. At last, the Basque added, “I always say that we shouldn't look for excuses….What we have to do is treat each match as if it were our last, and give it our all with the players we have available.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Balsa Popovic said that every team that they face now will play with the motivation of wanting to break down the impeccable defence of Olympiacos. Currently on a streak of 7 straight clean sheets, Olympiacos have also scored greatly in this run. Popovic said, “Yes, the most important thing for the goalkeepers and the defence is to finish the games without conceding a goal. I think we have now reached seven consecutive games and I believe that every next opponent will try to stop this streak and score a goal for us.” He added, “Maybe the secret is the quality of the players.”

About the match against Kifisia FC, the goalkeeper said that, like every other team, Kifisia will also want to break down their defensive wall. As a result, the match will not be an easy one. He added, “We have no intention of stopping.”