The ‘Malaguista’ defender is confident the team can move forward and get out of the current difficult situation: “We’re having a tough time, but so are another 10 teams in the League. We’re all incredibly focused and determined to achieve the maximum amount of points out of the next three games. I don’t think they will be like finals to us, but they’ll be crucial as we’re up against teams who are lower down the League table. There’s everything to play for.”
The Blue and Whites’ player believes that the team has improved somewhat in recent games, in what is a very tight League competition: “Certain matches turn out in different ways. We played well against Sevilla, but no-one remembers that. We’ve had some good matches this season, but we’ve also had our share of bad luck. Everyone on the team is full of determination, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. The League competition is very close at the moment, and we’ve not come away from important games the way we’ve wanted to. However we’re all focused on maintaining a strong performance and playing the best football we can. Earning points from the next three matches is vital, and will be a big boost for the team. We knew we’d have a tough time this season, but we didn’t anticipate being in this situation. It’s important that we concentrate on the present and the future, as we know we’re capable of victory in the next three games and gaining a lot more points. The League is tough though, as we can find ourselves beating Sevilla, and losing to bottom-placed Betis. We need to be wary of each and every opponent, as often with direct rivals we can lose our concentration. We’ve now got three chances to change our image.”
Antunes hopes the fans will be backing the team in the upcoming matches: “Teams at the bottom of the table need points as much as we do. Almería will have their fans right behind them, and it will be incredibly important for them playing at their home ground, as it is for us. We need to stay focused on ourselves and our performance to try and bring the three points back.”
The Portuguese international talks about the team as well as his own individual performance: “Whether I play or not is not important, it’s about the team. I always work as hard as I can, although sometimes things don’t quite work out. The key is working together as a group, maintaining a strong unity and performing to the best of our ability.”
Lastly, Antunes discusses the latest signings: “Iakovenko and Amrabat are both important players, as they really support the rest of the team, which is great for me and the entire squad.”
