Paphos and APOEL played to a 0-0 draw in a derby featuring several key scoring chances, as well as crucial saves by both goalkeepers, as part of Matchday 6 of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
After the match, both Ricardo Sa Pinto and the “blue-and-yellows’” assistant coach, Nikolas Karabetakis, spoke at the press conference.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Key points
Ricardo Sa Pinto (Paphos): “We took the field with significant absences, mainly in the center of our defensive line. There was no other experienced option in the back besides Maé. Although we performed satisfactorily on defense, our offense was lacking.
It became clear that the first-half formation wasn’t allowing us to perform as expected, so I changed the game plan at halftime. We applied pressure higher up the field, disrupting the opponent’s build-up from their very first pass, with our forwards immediately pressuring the center backs. In this way, we deprived them of time to think and forced them into mistakes. I believe that our performance in the second half is what truly reflects our philosophy.
We deserved the win because we were the better team, but we need to convert our chances into goals. In matches of this caliber, whoever scores takes a clear lead.
We’re dealing with a slew of different injuries, and bad luck has been following us since the start of the season. Despite this, the team didn’t seem affected by Thursday’s effort. It’s perfectly normal for David Luiz, given his age and the immense contribution he’s made, to feel some discomfort. Similarly, Pepe landed awkwardly and felt a problem. These injuries are a setback. Our goal is to play with strength, dynamism, and speed, so careful management of the players and the matches is required.
Once again, we lacked effectiveness. In our previous home games, we had the upper hand, we deserved the three points, and we did everything we needed to get them, but the key is scoring.
That’s something I’m trying to improve through our daily training. Today we created three clear-cut chances in one-on-one situations. If we hadn’t been able to create those chances, then I’d have to worry about our attacking play.
The problem, however, isn’t with creating chances. When you have three clear-cut opportunities against the opposing goalkeeper, you simply have to score at least once.
I’m confident that success will come. We need to start taking advantage of our home field, even though we’re still at the beginning of our journey. We’re staying on track with our goals, we’re getting results on the road, and I believe we’re very close to getting back to winning ways at home.”
Nikolas Karabetakis (APOEL): “I think we started the first half very well; we had possession, stuck to our game plan, and created plenty of chances, but the goal didn’t come. In the second half, it was inevitable that our opponent would fight back. Ultimately, I think it was a fair result. It’s important for us that we’re improving in areas where we’ve had problems. Once again, thank you to the fans; we felt like we were playing at home.”
On the big difference in performance between the two halves: “The opponent plays soccer, too. The opposing coach made some changes to create problems for us. I attribute the problem in the second half to the fact that we couldn’t keep the ball in the areas where we had possession.”
What is APOEL’s goal: “There should be no other goal for APOEL besides first place. There’s still a long way to go. Our team is improving with every game, and I believe that by the end of the season we’ll be right up there at the top.”
