What did Pedru Moreyra say before the match against "Al Hilol"?

The head coach of "Pakhtakor," Pedru Moreyra, and defender Shahzod Azmiddinov participated in a press conference organized before the match against "Al Hilol," which is part of the Elite Asian Champions League quarter-finals.

"The qualification was unexpected for us. It will definitely be a difficult match; we will play against a very organized and strong team tomorrow. I didn't mention this in the last press conference, but we aim to improve from game to game. Tomorrow we will hold the first match of the playoff stage. Our arrival to this match is due to the efforts made last season. I also want to thank Maksim Shatskikh.

“Thanks to the skills displayed by the players in the match against 'Al Sadd,' we are continuing our journey. I expect a tough game against one of the strongest teams in Asia. Our opponent is one of the teams that has won the most in this competition. Despite the cold weather, we strive to please our fans, and I believe my team will show a beautiful game tomorrow," said Pedru Moreyra.

Shahzod Azmiddinov

"We studied the strong and weak points of the opponent with our head coach. Based on that, we will try to defend the honor of 'Pakhtakor' appropriately in tomorrow's match."

- The recent results of the 'Al Hilol' team are not very encouraging. You mentioned that you studied the opponent well. Can you elaborate on the strong and weak points of 'Al Hilol'?

- We are playing against a very strong team. Last season, 'Al Hilol' recorded an unbeaten streak and set a record. The head coach of the team is the one who has won the most trophies among the coaches participating in this competition. The team displays football of fantastic quality. We respect 'Al Hilol,' but we also need to show what we are capable of. We need to demonstrate what we can do and what kind of football we can play. To be honest, we did not expect to advance to the next stage easily. Now we need to showcase our strength.

'Al Hilol' finished the group stage in first place, and they control the ball for an average of 60% of the time in each game. We will fight for our opportunities. We also have plans. As I mentioned earlier, we aim to create a stable future for 'Pakhtakor,' and we can achieve our goal through the results in such matches.

- Mr. head coach, 'Pakhtakor' will face the strongest team in Asia tomorrow. Will your team play more defensively or try to play evenly with the opponent as much as possible? For example, in the last press conference, you mentioned that 'Pakhtakor' always aims to be dominant and play attacking football. Will you stick to this philosophy in tomorrow's match?

- We need to approach each competition and each opponent differently. We will act according to our plan, but the game may not always unfold under the scenario we desire. We need to be prepared for various developments in the match. We have studied every detail of tomorrow's match.

We know what kind of opponent we are playing against. If the opponent applies pressure, we need to adapt to that pressure. If we have the opportunity, we need to take advantage of it. If we have possession of the ball, we need to keep it as much as possible. Through such actions, we challenge the opponent. It is true that we are playing against one of the main favorites to win the competition tomorrow, but if we want to continue our participation in the competition, we need to fight.

- Mr. Moreyra, you did not answer the main question. Will 'Pakhtakor' choose a defensive style tomorrow, or can we expect to see open football? For instance, 'Navbahor' faced 'Al Hilol' two seasons ago. At that time, 'Navbahor' played defensively and defended for almost 85 minutes, yet the Namangan team managed to take points from 'Al Hilol.'

- We need to understand one thing. In football, all teams want to win every match, but it doesn't always happen that way. Tomorrow we are playing against one of the strongest teams in the region. If we have possession of the ball, we will offer our game to the opponent. Depending on our opportunities, we will strive to play attacking football.

For example, in the match against 'Al Garafa,' we could not create any situations at all. However, in the match against 'Al Sadd,' we had chances and were able to change our game. I promise we will try to play as openly as possible. The rest depends on the opponent. 'Al Hilol' has a fantastic squad and controls the ball 60% of the time. They attack well, defend well, and press well. Everything is at the highest level. We need to realize what kind of strong team we are going to face. Only then can we unleash our weapons.

Question to Shahzod Azmiddinov

- 'Al Hilol's main striker Aleksandr Mitrovich will miss tomorrow's match due to injury. However, the second striker of the Saudi champion, Markos Leonardo, has scored 15 goals this year alone. This is a "terrifying" statistic. Overall, how does 'Pakhtakor's defense plan to stop 'Al Hilol's attackers tomorrow?

- We are 100% ready for the game. We know that 'Al Hilol' is the strongest team in Asia and that there are TOP players in the squad, but we also strive to present ourselves positively and maintain the integrity of our goal.

Question to Shahzod Azmiddinov

- It snowed in our city today, and the weather is quite cold. Could this give us an advantage in tomorrow's match? 'Al Hilol' players are not used to playing football in such weather...
- Tomorrow, 11 players from each team will step onto the field, and the teams will play football on the same pitch. In my opinion, this could give us a slight advantage.

- You mentioned that all attention was focused on this match before the game against 'Al Sadd.' That is, the team thought about and prepared only for 'Al Sadd' for a week. Was the preparation for 'Al Hilol' the same? For example, in terms of approach, enthusiasm, and focus...

- We need to create a style of football that we want to showcase. This way, we can have the most ideal playing style for ourselves. We tested this in Antalya. Additionally, we need to be a very adaptive and flexible team. We need to know our philosophy and be prepared for the games of various opponents. You cannot participate in such a competition without motivation.

- 'Pakhtakor's young player Muhammadali O'rinboyev is currently in excellent sporting form. Will O'rinboyev be given a chance soon?

- O'rinboyev is a very talented player, but I have only worked with him in two training sessions. O'rinboyev is not yet ready at the level we need. I have seen many talented players in Uzbekistan. Our team has many strong players, and each athlete must prove that they deserve a place in the starting lineup. If O'rinboyev is needed in tomorrow's match, I am ready to give him a chance. You have many quality and ambitious young players, but they need to consistently prove how talented they are. Every player must showcase their ambitions on the field. If they show this on the field, I will provide them with opportunities. I am not interested in the player's age or passport. I am interested in the player's game on the field.

Source: championat.asia