Match analysis
“Equality in this category is high and the teams demand the maximum from the rival. We must congratulate the 28 players who stepped on the pitch as they showed great effort in very high temperatures and made a huge sacrifice until the last minute. I think both teams fought and competed well throughout. The team found the right moment to sentence the match and later had different alternatives, but we leave satisfied with the win as we were up against a very good team at their home ground. I must also thank our fans who were helping the team, supporting them, and it’s great for us that they go home happy with three points”.
Great group work
“Almería piled the pressure on in the final minutes. The match was pretty controlled as we kept them away from goal. They had their shots that the team defended well. At the last minute there was a free kick from outside the area, then a clearance, and those situations are what we were trying to avoid as they had accumulated a lot of players upfront. They had a lot of tall players, good in aerial play… We tried to counteract that situation and fortunately Munir made a superb save, which was reward for all the hard work. The match was extremely hard-fought, very competitive. There weren’t many goal opportunities; just enough to be able to convert in the closing stages. If we had scored, the match would have been over, but we didn’t, and the match was kept alive until the end. We must know how to play this type of game, and we also needed that save at the end to claim all three points. It was a tight result, great work by everyone and a victory for the team”.
Harper’s superb goal
“I’d call it a ‘golazo’. He controlled the ball from midfield, focused on the way to the goal, opened up the wing and made an excellent finish. It’s an action to teach in the coaching school and The Academy. They receive, we steal, play upfront… they did everything right. In every match he has shown immense effort in defence and attack. He’s a footballer who needed to have these minutes in the category as he deserved them. A player who works hard and deserves to play, the coach’s obligation is to let him”.
Travelling Malaguista fans
“We must say thank you. Like last week at La Rosaleda. Monday at 11pm and tomorrow having to go to work, yet they’re here helping the team. It’s a great satisfaction for us that they go home happy with three points… and, above all, they see their team giving their all, and when they have to sweat until the last drop they do it without any effort. It’s an honour for us to see the fans leaving happy due to the team’s hard work”.
