The mood was quite different at the… Anorthosis and Omonia camps, following the “Greens’” 2-0 victory in their head-to-head matchup for Matchday 9 of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
Barack Itzaki was not satisfied with his team’s first-half performance, saying that in such crucial derbies, his team must play hard for 90 minutes—not just 45—to win.
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On the other hand, Henning Berg appeared thoroughly pleased with the positive result and said he was impressed by his players’ attitude.
Here’s what was said in detail:
Barack Itzaki (Anorthosis): “I think we can divide the match into two parts: the first and second halves. In the first half, we didn’t deserve anything more. The score was 2-0, and it could have even been 3-0, since we didn’t play the way we wanted to. This is something we need to pay special attention to, because in matches like this, you have to show your potential and strength from the very first minute. In the second half, our performance was clearly better. I believe we were the better team on the field. That, however, isn’t enough to win games. You have to compete for 90 minutes, not just 45.”
On what needs to change for the team to reach the level he wants: “It’s not so much about the system as it is about the style of play. You can’t implement a system just because you want to if you don’t have the players who can meet its demands. When I joined the team, I tried not to change too many things and to keep, for the most part, the same system. What I did want, however, was to change the team’s philosophy and playing identity. I feel that we’ve taken steps in that direction, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Now we can try out some other things in training and prepare for the next match.”
Henning Berg (Omonia): “We’re very happy with today’s victory, coming three days after the match in the Netherlands and following a difficult trip. I’m impressed with my players’ attitude and the level of fitness they showed on the field.”
On Akintola: “He was very good; he brought extra quality to the team. He was also very good tactically. He was substituted due to fatigue. For his first game back from injury, he was very good.”
On the many chances Omonia creates: “We’re happy that we’re creating chances. Not every chance will result in a goal, but the most important thing is that chances are coming because the goals will follow. Winning 2-0 against Anorthosis at a difficult away venue is very important. They’re all muscle strains and minor injuries—nothing serious. The way Mayabela has adapted to playing right back has been excellent, and he performed very well both on Thursday and today. Satka and Koulibaly are a tough defensive duo. Maric and Andreou were incredible on Thursday and again today. Evandro had an impressive performance on Thursday, and the way he helped us today is impressive.”
