2-1 analysis
“I value the team’s attitude above everything else. When we were on top, we ended the first half with five shots while they had two, yet we went into the break behind. If anyone deserved to be winning, it was us. When you’re getting into the final third well, conceding a goal feels like a bucket of cold water. They’ve shown they have heart, and La Rosaleda really carried us and pushed us on. A goal down, we didn’t lose our composure. When the opposition wastes time, you tend to get frustrated, but the players didn’t give up and kept going. We were fair winners, and that makes these three points even more valuable. With 18 shots, we should have won it earlier, but fate decided it would be in the 93rd minute.”
Good rival
“They made very good decisions and closed us down really well. We struggled to connect that final pass through the middle. They were able to force that situation, but energy doesn’t last forever. What we did in the second half was the result of what we had already done in the first. The substitutions helped maintain that momentum and we didn’t lose patience. Staying patient while remaining active gave us the chance to win the match. Without linking up properly in the final third we didn’t have that edge, but we kept working the game, and I really liked that.”
Stellar Larrubia
“I was talking to him to congratulate him. I told him he had to finish with a certain number of goals, and today he scored two. If there’s one player we never doubt, it’s David, not much more to add. Sensational, his determination helps the team be where we are. He’s been able to maintain his performance over time, it’s not just a one-day thing.”
18 shots on goal
“Any team that lets you take the initiative while closing space at the back exposes themselves to more chances in the box. You have to defend with your last player far from goal, teams value earning points against Málaga. After the first goal, you have to keep them at a high tempo. In the final stretch, we made the difference, and it wasn’t easy. It’s very hard for top teams against the lower ones, this league is very even because anyone can cause problems. They only shot twice at goal and have the talent to place it where they did. You have to look at the overall performance and rhythm, it’s not easy to take 18 shots on target and still stay in the game. I value that because it’s difficult.”
More nuances of the game
“The ball comes back faster when you move it quickly. If we had lost patience, the play would have been much slower. The highway creates its own lane. That urgency to move forward and take risks will give us many points. The focus tends to be on turnovers because it’s close to the goal. Everyone makes their own bet, this is ours. Some days it will work against us, other days in our favour, we want it to go our way more often. If we had just lumped the ball to the other end, they would have had more opportunities.”
Next match
“We have to keep generating adaptations to face opponents, who will try to counter us. We need to anticipate that and continue in a growth phase. We must stick to our ideas while also being able to adopt others so they can’t neutralise us. Achieving those adaptations is possible. If that evolution happens, very enjoyable days lie ahead, and people will enjoy it as they did today. This match is over, let the fans and players enjoy it. Tomorrow is Monday, we close the door and focus on San Sebastián. We’re going there to win. It will be tough because they were recently one of the best home teams in the division. Our focus is on overcoming what’s next.”