Great team performance
“Fans leave full of belief in the team, and the team feels the same. It’s incredible how the crowd pushes us in difficult moments. It may look easy, but we were up against a great opponent. They’re the least conceded team in the league, we scored two against them and had three times as many shots. With our fans, everything is much easier. The team has shown that when some players aren’t at their best, others step up and take their chance. All season long, this group has shown incredible strength and has risen to the challenge in adversity. Today they proved it, they stayed solid in effort, hard work and sacrifice.”
“It was an important challenge because, against a tough opponent that puts you under pressure, showing resilience and staying in the game gives you the chance to win. Dani’s absence gave us the opportunity to add more physical presence and more options for set pieces. That’s where we took the lead, and from there the game tilted in our favour, we played an excellent match. Once we go ahead, we impose ourselves, and the substitutions were fantastic. The players who came on gave us a lot of control. It’s a great achievement, against a team having an outstanding season, to go in front and not be pushed back. We were more solid, scored the second, and had chances to get more. That’s the kind of determination this team needs, and I have to congratulate the players because they put in a tremendous shift.”
Boost
“Mentally, this is a huge lift. On top of the three points, we take the head-to-head advantage and put three points between us and them. It’s reassuring not just how we did it, but who we did it against. You come away with such positive feelings and show that we’re a real team. When adversity comes, this team just keeps rising. Hats off to them for what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.”
Juanpe and Ramón
“We’ll see over the next few days once Juanpe undergoes tests. He felt a very sharp twinge, came off unsteadily after a foul and asked to be substituted. Hopefully he’ll be back soon. With Ramón, we’re managing his workload and that affects things. He has a lot of talent and his style fits perfectly with what we want. He came on and, with his ability to control the space and the tempo of the game, he’s a great asset for the team. When one player drops out through injury, another steps in. What we achieve in matches comes from sticking together, and that’s what makes it all so special.”
Collective strength
“They know they’re very important to the team and they show it day by day. There are patterns that shape what we do on the pitch, but bringing together everyone’s qualities gives you so much. Aaron Ochoa, Chupe and Adri gave us a lot today. They’re qualities of very good players, and we’re fortunate to have them with us.”
Game plan reflected on the pitch
“When you set up a match, you picture many scenarios and how things might unfold in different ways. Usually, what you imagine isn’t exactly what ends up happening, so you have to be ready for many possibilities. During the week, I was clear that 15 or 16 players would be involved, and if we took the lead, we’d reinforce the middle. We thought about ‘Dorri’, who isn’t talked about enough considering how well he’s playing, but we brought in Aaron as a sort of inverted midfielder. On the other flank, we needed someone alongside Puga to put pressure on Clemente. Then we were able to move Joaquín into his natural position with Dorri’s introduction.”
“Having such a deep squad, with so many different options and tactical profiles, is a blessing for the coaching staff. Everyone ends up contributing to what we’re building, and today we all saw that.”
Murillo and Joaquín, goal-scorers
“Often a goal puts you in the spotlight, but Joaquín has been playing really well in many matches, making a difference. Now the goals are coming and everything gets magnified a bit more. We’re looking at a sensational player who’s having an outstanding season, we just need him to keep it up. With Murillo, nothing is by chance. Now that we have more physical presence in the team, things are easier. The goals are coming for him now; other times he’ll create space so a teammate can score. Just like before, when the goals weren’t coming, we said we lacked physical presence and couldn’t overcome it, now that we have it, we’re reaping the rewards.”
