AEK and Aris Limassol stayed at 2-2 in Cyprus, in the first game for the third qualifying round of the Conference League. At the end of the match, Union coach Marco Nikolic stood at the individual mistakes and the “gifts” that – as he characteristically pointed out – made his team and brought the equalizer.
However, Marco Nikolic expressed his faith, for AEK qualifying, in the next round of the Conference League.
In detail, what he said:
“We started the game very well, we scored the two goals and we had a good chance for a third goal. Then it was what I had said. We started to “gift” to the opponent. A deep ball on the offside line on the back of the defense we conceded the first goal and after the corner kick we accepted the other. Absolute concentration is needed, there are no dead intervals. Unfortunately, and under these weather conditions with heat and humidity, the children did what they could, they tried. Too bad because we were to play at home, our fans supported us and eventually everything would be judged in Athens.
Aris Limassol changed the system compared to previous matches. At a regular and team level I do not think we had an issue, they cost us individual. The big balls, the second balls lost and the counterattacks. The conditions were difficult, but with what I saw I have a great deal of faith in a positive result and qualification in Athens. “