Ante Šimundža is more than satisfied with Maribor after the victory over the newly crowned champions from Celje: “Exceptional performance from our side!”
Photo: Žan Pak
Although Celje has already achieved their goal and even though the players under Damir Krznar undoubtedly already have their minds set on vacation, Saturday’s defeat at Ljudski vrt undoubtedly stung for many. Especially the fans… They hoped that Celje would demonstrate their dominance in the current season even in the Styrian capital, but Maribor had different plans. Ante Šimundža led his team to a more than deserved victory, and after the match, he was beaming with satisfaction due to what he saw.
“A deserved victory, with an exceptional performance from our side. Despite Celje being champions, we had to perform at a high level. We were better, the most important thing is that we earned another 3 points and presented ourselves properly against a team that secured the title. The arrival of the champions provided enough motivation, but Maribor, when playing at home, is always the favorite, and we fully justified that role,” said Ante Šimundža after the match, which the purple-and-whites won 3-1, for the club’s website.
Maribor was once again very lively in attack, besides scoring three goals, they also created a plethora of other chances. “We had a lot of them, and I must admit that I remembered the game against Domžale when we failed to finish them off the way we wanted. A 2-0 lead can be deceptive, complications can often arise even with such an advantage. In the second half, we suffered at times, but then we gained dominance, which we wanted. It’s a pity we didn’t score more. We saw a lot of good things, a move of European caliber in Iličić’s finish, Božić’s crossbar…” analyzed Ante Šimundža after the victory over the club from the princely city.
Šimundža: “We know they have quality”
The coach of the most successful Slovenian club added: “Congratulations to the players who performed and those who remained on the bench. Our attack starts from the goalkeeper, from winning the ball. But we also have players who are capable, physically and mentally, of providing such a high level of creativity, which is very important. We were good in attack, of course, it’s impossible to convert all opportunities. What pleases me is the realization that we remained focused until 3-0, then we conceded a goal, but we must not lose concentration. Regardless of the result.”
Once again, the veterans Josip Iličić and Hillal Soudani impressed. “We know they have quality. But they also have a lot of support from defensive, midfield, and wing players. Pihler, for example, doesn’t play in his position, he was absent from the field for a long time, but he played excellently. When you have players of such caliber, who have experienced a lot, from the Champions League, major international tournaments, and won trophies, it’s important that they also give back to the team what the team gives them. Iličić and Soudani enjoy playing on the field, and it’s noticeable how much they work in defense. It has often been criticized, but we see that it’s not like that,” concluded Ante Šimundža.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet