First victory
“Both in victory and defeat, a goal changes absolutely everything. We didn’t do anything different to what we did in Las Palmas. Tonight we were able to score two goals which gave us victory, and although we suffered, it’s totally deserved.”
En-Nesyri’s debut at La Rosaleda
“He’s played a couple of away games, but hadn’t debuted at home by circumstance. He’s a guy with great projection and in good condition, who must take things step by step. There’s no need to rush him. Little by little he’ll prove his worth, and yes, he’s ready to compete in the First Division. Tonight he was fortunate to score the winning goal, which will be great for him to boost his confidence and for people to believe in him. Gradually, he’ll earn minutes.”
Quick equaliser
“If more time had gone by with us at a disadvantage on the scoreboard, nerves would have set in. Scoring the goal in the first half and having a 1-1 draw at half-time was decisive in securing victory. The team believed in its possibilities, we generated opportunities and the goal could have arrived at any moment. We had further chances in the second half. We played a lot in the attacking half, which created goal opportunities.”
System of play
“We played a 4-4-2 formation, like in other matches so far this season. We alternated with the 4-2-3-1 depending on whether we wanted a playmaker or two forwards. Regardless, I’ve used both systems and the players know them both perfectly well.”
Rotations and play on the wings
“There has been a great deal of rotation. Entering from the wings is what we’ve tended to do more in previous games that we hadn’t won. In other matches, we’ve not been lucky enough to find the pass and convert the goal, which is what led us to defeat. Against Villarreal we focused on the wings much more than today, but if you can’t find the final pass, you can’t win the match. The only difference in respect of other games is that today we were successful in goal.”
Kuzmanovic
“He did his job. Kuzmanovic hadn’t played until now, and he played perfectly. The effort made by the player is much appreciated.”
Three matches in one week
“Moving from the first to the second match is ok. From the second to the third, it’s a bit trickier. We’ll need to evaluate how the players are. We’ll see how they do tomorrow, as the next day is when the problems and discomfort can come about. We will look into which players will need to compete on Friday, knowing the risk of injury amongst those who have played many minutes.”
Sandro
“The assessment is very positive, from the point of view that strikers live and breathe goals. He scored the equaliser, which gives great security and confidence. He’s done a lot of important things for the team, and helped us to claim the three points.”
