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A game of greater importance and motivation is for Olympiakos tomorrow (10/27, 22.00) against Porto in “Dragao” for the second day of the Champions League groups. For some of the “rojiblancos”, however, the motivation is even greater, as they return home to take … exams in front of their compatriots.
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Pedro Martins had predicted that his team would return home through the draw and fell… Diana. For him and his teammates, the desire to show their work against one of the best Portuguese teams trumps everything else. Especially when this match comes six days after the impressive victory against Marseille that places the Greek champions in the position of leader of the group, along with the great favorites, Manchester City.
The 50-year-old coach has a lot to do with tomorrow’s game. He knows very well that the host Porto will seek a reaction through the match with Olympiakos and he makes sure to pass it on to his players every day. Expect an even tougher game than the premiere, for a number of reasons everyone can easily understand. If Porto, after all, does not win in this match either, they will lose a lot of ground to claim even second place leading to the next phase of the tournament.
THE FIVE AND THE ABSENCE
However, in addition to Martins and his associates, there are six Portuguese players on the roster, five of whom are already at home. It’s about Sa, Pepe, Semedo, Vinagre and Bruma, who are waiting for this game to show a lot. The only one who did not follow up because he has not been declared on the UEFA list is Thiago Silva, who this year we will only see in domestic competition matches.
Jose Sa and Semedo are currently international with Fernando Santos Men. Vinagre is a member of the National Team of Hope and in the lobby to join the club of his teammates Cristiano Ronaldo. Pepe is waiting his turn to continue and Bruma to return after an absence of about a year. The new acquisition of Olympiacos, for those who do not know, has already written 9 appearances and a goal with the great Selection of Portugal, with his last participation about a year ago, on November 14, 2019.
All of them, regardless of whether they will play and how long, are waiting for this match, since Valbouena and Embilas waited a few days ago for Marseille to be treated accordingly and become a front for the French media. The game, however, against the team of Sergio Conceiç πουo, who knows both Greece and Olympiakos very well, not only wants problems, they also want a path. Intelligence, management, patience.
SAME ELEVEN, ANOTHER PLAN
All this they know very well at the Renti sports center. And Pedro Martins may be preparing the same squad, but not the same approach. Aside from the unexpected, the starting eleven will include Sa-Rafinia, Semedo, Ba, Cholebas-Embila, Bouhalakis-Masouras, Valbouena, Rantzelovic-El Arabi.
However, the approach to racing is expected to be different. Against the Villa Boas team, the Greek duo left the ball, bit the time and hit when the right moment arrived. Tomorrow, according to relevant information, the coach’s plan foresees the pressure at higher levels, to prevent the ball from moving easily to midfield. At the same time, he will try to mislead the Porto defenders, putting his own players in shooting position.
All of this, of course, is easily printed on paper, difficult to apply in the field. The balance between “pushing high” and “not being exposed on defense” is very delicate. You will need a lot of attention in the transition, a very well coordinated pressing and an endless race, which will again miss the main “lung” Mandi Kamara who stayed in Athens due to Covid 19.
At the same time, the Olympiacos coach is very committed to the solutions he will have at his side, since there are important weapons in the quiver for every need, such as Fortounis, Hassan, Vinagre, Pepe, Bruma, Sudani. We are talking about another eleven medium that can change the data of a game, or “seal” it according to the requirements.
The objective of the “rojiblancos”, however, will be to score the first goals on Tuesday night in “Dragao”. If they are successful, they believe they will significantly blur the minds of a team that has not performed well so far, despite its enormous potential. And in that case, they will pave the way for a second victory that will bring the dream of qualifying closer together.
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