Statements by Pellegrini:
(Match) “Despite everything, I think we played well. However, it was a shame for the fans who’d bought their tickets, as the state of the pitch meant we couldn’t play a proper game, it was like we were both fighting out there. We had the best chances to score throughout the match though, even though they were few and far between for both teams. Eliseu had two or three headers which narrowly missed the goal. We predicted the match would be settled either via a set piece, a second ball or a header. It was the only way to play on this pitch.”
(Number of matches) “The team is responding well, and I don’t think we’ve had any problems, either physically or mentally. I was a bit worried to be honest, but after we’d achieved Champions qualification, we relaxed a bit more and brought these three points home. The team has showed they’re more than capable of taking part in both competitions.”
(Saviola’s debut) “We weren’t sure if the new players would arrive on time, and they were only able to train for one day. However three of them were available and we needed another player on the attack. Javier came on in the second half and played well.”
(Signings) “Unfortunately things weren’t done how we would have liked, we were really against the clock, but I think we’ve got four great new players who’ll really reinforce the squad. The individual performance of these new players, as well as the rest of the team, is improving match by match. We couldn’t have such a small team whilst taking part in two competitions, as the threat of injury and suspension is always present. So we reinforced the team in the areas we needed most, namely in defence following the departure of Rondón, Van Nistelrooy and Mathijsen. We’re now got a very balanced team.
Statements by Eliseu:
“The team performed well, though we need to keep working hard and improving. We came away with three important points from a tough match.”
Statements by Camacho:
“The team has really grown in the face of adversity, and we should congratulate ourselves. Saviola has the capacity to be a fantastic player, and I hope he does really well with the team. It was really great playing here today, as this is where I made my professional debut, so it was a very exciting match for me.”
Statements by Joaquín:
“The most important thing is that we’re always determined to win, regardless of the rival. We’ve achieved two away wins so far this season, and the team is playing really well.”