Apollon Limassol head coach Hern\u00e1n Losada expressed his satisfaction after his side’s 3-0 victory over Dila Gori at the Alphamega Stadium, a result that secured qualification to the third\u00a0qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.<\/p>\n
The Argentine coach began by thanking the supporters, who created a memorable atmosphere on the club’s first-ever European night at the Alphamega Stadium.<\/p>\n
“Job done after winning our second game. This was a match many people had been waiting for for a long time. First of all, I want to thank our fans. They were incredible tonight, we heard them throughout the entire match and I believe we gave them a very good performance. We will also need their support in the upcoming rounds.”<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the team’s display, Losada highlighted that his players achieved everything they had set out to do.<\/p>\n
“We did our job. We created chances, scored goals and it was important to keep another clean sheet. We also wanted to avoid yellow cards, but sometimes that’s part of football. It’s a contact sport and you cannot control every situation.”<\/p>\n
The Apollon coach also praised the contribution of the players who were given opportunities during the match.<\/p>\n
“I’m very happy with the minutes everyone got. Peter did well in goal, Alen O\u017ebolt started up front, while Gary and Angelos (Andreou) also made a positive impact after coming off the bench. Step by step, we continue preparing for what’s ahead.”<\/p>\n
Losada believes the team will continue to improve as it gains more competitive minutes.<\/p>\n
“We are only in our fifth week of preparation and the more games we play, the better our shape will become. Keeping another clean sheet is very important. We didn’t concede during pre-season and we haven’t conceded in our first two European matches either. That gives us confidence and makes us feel strong from the back to the front.”<\/p>\n
He also underlined the importance of Dani Escriche getting on the scoresheet.<\/p>\n
“It was important for Dani to score, even if it came in the final seconds. These moments give strikers confidence. In the next qualifying rounds we probably won’t create as many chances, so we need to be clinical.”<\/p>\n
Asked about the next round, Losada insisted he has no preference regarding Apollon’s possible opponents.<\/p>\n
“I don’t have any favourites. Whether it’s a team from Romania or Norway, both will be difficult opponents with different styles of play. We have to be prepared for either scenario.”<\/p>\n
The Apollon head coach also confirmed that the club continues to work on strengthening the squad.<\/p>\n
“Our squad is not complete yet. We’re still working to bring in the right players and hopefully we’ll be able to complete the roster as soon as possible.”<\/p>\n
Finally, Losada expressed his support for all Cypriot clubs competing in Europe.<\/p>\n
“I genuinely hope all Cypriot teams do well in Europe. It helps the country’s coefficient, it helps the league and it benefits Cypriot football as a whole. I’m happy that we can contribute to that.”<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to the next round, he added:<\/p>\n
“Personally, I prefer playing the second leg at home. We’ll try to get a good result away from home and then, with the support of our fans at the Alphamega Stadium, fight for another qualification.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Apollon Limassol head coach Hern\u00e1n Losada expressed his satisfaction after his side’s 3-0 victory over Dila Gori at the Alphamega Stadium, a result that secured qualification to the third\u00a0qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":112926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[166],"tags":[1201],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n