Olympiacos disappoint Żewłakow
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Article summary
Michał Żewłakow lamented his side's luck after a 1-1 draw at home against FC Shakhtar Donetsk cost Olympiacos CFP a place in the UEFA Cup Round of 32.
Article body
Michał Żewłakow lamented his side's bad luck after a 1-1 draw at home against FC Shakhtar Donetsk which saw the Ukrainian side deny Olympiacos CFP a place in the UEFA Cup.
Defensive lapses
Olympiacos needed to beat Shakhtar to steal third place in Group D but after failing behind to Matuzalem's first-half strike the hosts could only manage a draw, with Nery Alberto Castillo levelling in the second half. Defensive lapses again cost the Greek side dear with Matuzalem left unmarked to head in Jadson Rodriguez's corner for the opening goal.
'A bad day'
Żewłakow was bitterly disappointed. "It was a bad day for us, we had bad luck," said the Polish defender. "I think we showed great desire to win, we gave 100 per cent and created a lot of chances but the draw wasn't good enough for us. But in football that happens sometimes - the best team doesn't always win. Today we could only get a draw and Shakhtar go through to the UEFA Cup instead of us."
Set-piece problems
One of several defenders brought in during the summer to help bolster a creaky rearguard, Żewłakow admitted defensive mistakes had cost Olympiacos again. "Of course they did," he said. "We lost concentration on one corner in the first half and it was 1-0. We have difficulty dealing with set-pieces. The teams tonight were of a very similar standard but there are moments when we have to be more focused."
Added disappointment
The post mortem into Olympiacos's eighth consecutive failure to reach the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League will continue and the added disappointment of losing out on a UEFA Cup place having finished bottom of the group is a blow the club can only recover from by focusing on domestic matters. "It's a big disappointment for us and the fans," continued Żewłakow. "What can I say? I'd just like to thank the supporters for their backing during the campaign and I hope they will stay behind us for the rest of the season in the Greek championship. We have to focus all our energy on the league and Greek Cup."