MADRID, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Feyenoord coach, Arne Slot, highlighted this Wednesday as a key aspect “marking the chances when they present themselves” if his pupils intend to “achieve something in Europe”, referring to their 3-2 defeat against Atlético de Madrid in the matchday 2 within Group E in the Champions League.
“We have not passed this ‘exam’ because we have not achieved a good result. What do we learn? Well, we have shown ourselves in a good way. But at this level, if you want to achieve something in Europe, you have to mark the opportunities when they present themselves to you “, Slot commented at a press conference from the Cívitas Metropolitano stadium.
“If we had done it perfectly, we would have won…” he reflected. “We have done everything, except score one more goal than them; we have conceded goals and that is more important than scoring them. Against Celtic we did well, we left no option and that is what is required of us. Today we avoided many of the Celtics’ chances. Atlético, I think up to four clear ones apart from the goals,” Slot stressed.
Furthermore, the Feyenoord coach avoided controversy when analyzing the 1-1, with a correction from the VAR to an offside signal on the field. “I think it has been interpreted correctly. It is true that it has been to our detriment, but the rules are like that. It has been seen that there was deliberate contact with Wieffer’s ball and, in that case, it is not difficult for me to recognize it,” he told regard.
Meanwhile, Slot regretted leaving the Metropolitano empty-handed. “You don’t know if in a few weeks the next game will develop in the same way. We have seen that here a team that suffers is capable of winning the game and being very, very effective,” he argued about Atlético’s comeback.
“Above all I am disappointed because we did not get points, we know that there are six games in this and the points are important. It is not the same to play 34 games in your league as six in the Champions League,” Slot insisted on the harshness of the maximum European competition.
“It was a good step compared to the game against Ajax, where I was not happy at all in the first 10 minutes. But in football only the result counts, good play is more long-term. In the short term only the result matters and we have not achieved it,” he noted.
“If we leave aside the goals, something that is impossible, the game has developed the way we wanted. We have neutralized quite a few of their opportunities and then the times we have reached their area we have found openings,” concluded Slot.