Donis: "Barça are better than us but we'll make them work"

APOEL Nicosia manager Giorgos Donis spoke to the press ahead of his side's Champions League opener against FC Barcelona to assess their chances against the four-time champions.

How will you approach the match? "Our first game is against Barcelona, so there's no need to say that the opposition is a difficult prospect. We are in a very tough group and we know that it's not going to be easy but on the other hand we have to motivate our team. Barcelona don't let their opponents play, they like to have the ball and so we will have to be very disciplined in defence. It will definitely be a special experience for the team but I hope my players won't view it as just an experience. We have to respect them, we are playing against the best players in the world, but we mustn't bow down to them. We have to give it everything."

What will you ask of your players? "Concentration, especially when you are playing against a team this good and you know you will have to stay behind the ball. It's not enough to be on your guard for 10 or 15 minutes, you have to keep it up for the whole game."

Can you compete against Barcelona? "I think that when you are in the Champions League you have to mix enjoyment with competitiveness. We are very pleased to have reached the group stages and we worked really hard to get here. When the game starts we will try to be competitive to go as far as we can in the competition."

How do you stop Messi and Neymar? "We know they have a better team but on the other hand we will try and make them work as hard as possible. The plan is collective effort. We are used to having the ball so it will be harder for us, because they will have more possession. But when we have the ball, we know what to do."

Victory against Rubin Kazan: "Sometimes there are victories that nobody expects but we are realistic and the important thing is to give it our best shot and capitalize on the chances we get. We have to try and be competitive."

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1u0JAs2

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