AEL defeated Nea Salamina 2-1 at AlphaMega Stadium in the match that kicked off the third round of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
In a dramatic game that had it all, the Limassol team managed to pull off a late victory and secure three very important points.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
After the match, Hugo Martins highlighted the attitude displayed by his players, while Angel López, on the other hand, complained about the refereeing, saying that: “the AEL players were playing basketball.”
Here are the statements in detail:
Hugo Martins (AEL): “This victory is the appropriate response to the loss in the previous match. We got the result we wanted; I’m happy about that. It shows that the players didn’t give up, and that speaks to their mindset. We were more aggressive, especially on defense; we knew our opponent plays with combinations and we prepared well for that; Nea Salamina played well, and that adds even more value to our victory. Now the challenge is to get back to the level we were at until the 75th minute of the match against Anorthosis, because then it will be easier to secure victories. A lot has happened that disrupted the team’s chemistry—we lost our entire attacking line, and then came the heavy defeat to APOEL. Starting tomorrow, we’ll have one more option on offense; tonight, Jovetić sacrificed himself for the team and played as a center forward, and then we brought in Mougé and Karamanis there as well. Our build-up was slow; we didn’t move the ball well in the first half. In the second half, we improved somewhat, but not enough to put together a good game.”
Ángel López (Nea Salamina): “We played our best game so far. We were solid, we were dynamic, and for most of the match we were in control. Once again, we lost the points because of the little things. We missed the penalty, but we kept believing and kept trying. I really find it very hard to understand what the referees are doing in these three matches against Nea Salamina, especially in today’s game. The AEL players were constantly blocking the ball. They were playing basketball, not soccer. I kept telling the referee that. Nea Salamina is a healthy club and needs to be protected. The authorities need to take this issue seriously. We’re growing day by day; the team is building on the positives it showed today. We’re a family—we’ll fix whatever needs to be fixed, but beyond that, there are things that are beyond our control.”
