Imanol Alguacil Praises Olympiacos Academy Duo After Debuts

Olympiacos defeated Marko 2-0, maintaining their absolute dominance in the Greek Cup league phase.

Imanol Alguacil was pleased with the players' performance, especially Christos Filis and Paschalis Toufakis, and acknowledged that they have a chance to reach the first team.

In detail, here is what Imanol Alguacil said in the news conference: "For the win and with zero in defense, what conclusions do you draw from the match?" Alguacil was asked, to which the Basque coach responded, "I am very satisfied with my players' performance, and I am happy for the fans who were on our side once again despite the fact that we were playing away from home. But above all, I am happy because, although we were playing against a second-division team, we showed the respect it deserved."

He added, "We were serious and consistent, and we achieved the eighth consecutive victory without conceding a goal. But I repeat to you that all of this is already a thing of the past, and now we look to the future."

On Filis and Toufakis, who debuted with the first team, he said: "I am satisfied with their performance, but I would not like to speak individually about some players and, specifically, about the boys from our academy who had minutes of playing time. They did a good job, but they have a lot of work ahead to keep improving and reach the goal of all of us: to reach the level of the first team."

"I hope they keep working, and I believe that this year their role is more about helping the second team. That is where they have to play and show they can contribute to the team, so they can reach the first team at some point, which is the goal of the entire academy. I hope they keep working and improving, because they may have contributed today, but they still have a long way to go to be part of the first team."

Meanwhile, winger Leon Bailey seems ready to make a difference for Olympiacos after an impressive display against Marko, finding confidence and form.

A Greek Cup match against a lower-division team is not enough to draw many conclusions about Olympiacos. It certainly counts that the Red-and-Whites kept their streak going and that Imanol Alguacil gave more squad players a chance to play.

However, shortly before the 75th minute, the Basque coach saw Leon Bailey display his undeniable quality on the pitch with an impressive dribble between the Marko players. A move that may not have led to a goal or an assist, but it says a lot about the situation the Jamaican is in.