Firstly, Bernd Schuster talks about his team ahead of tomorrow’s match against strong rival, Atlético de Madrid: “We want to take full advantage of our performance in the last five games, in which we’ve maintained a solid performance. The boys are much more confident now and tomorrow we’re up against one of the toughest rivals in the Spanish League.”
Schuster warns of the danger surrounding Diego Costa: “It really is spectacular to see what he can do on the pitch. He runs well and takes on the entire rival defence single-handedly. He is a very special player, and it’s crucial that we’re on top of him all the time. We’ve been talking about him throughout the week and analysing every detail about his game play, and without exaggeration it’s absolutely vital we don’t let him out of our sight for the entire 90 minutes.”
The German-born coach believes it will be key to score first tomorrow: “It’s always good to open the scoring, particularly against a team like Atlético, but we need to maintain a very strong defence. Levante managed to score two goals against them, so I hope we can do the same. However scoring first on Saturday will be a big step in the right direction.”
Bernd Schuster praises Simeone’s work as Atlético coach: “I would have liked to have had the chance to know him as a player. He would have complemented me well on the pitch and I know we would have understood each other well. As a manager he’s had an amazing career in a very short space of time. He’s used his philosophy as a player to mould his coaching style, which has worked perfectly with Atlético de Madrid. The team is playing the perfect game at the moment.”
The ‘Malaguista’ coach has every confidence in his team ahead of tomorrow’s difficult match: “Juanmi will be supporting the team from the start, so he’ll definitely be part of the initial 11. Tomorrow’s game will be a tense one, so we’ll have Roque out there, who is back to full fitness. In defence, Sergio Sánchez and Weligton were playing very well before the Christmas holidays, and will be on the pitch again tomorrow. Weligton will be the force behind our defence strategy, with Sergio backing him up with strength. We’ve had a lot of luck with Marco (Angeleri), he’s always ready to play. Therefore neither of the other two can rest on their laurels.”
Schuster trusts that the Christmas holidays haven’t affected the team at all, and is very relaxed when it comes to the incorporation of new players during the January transfer window: “The break over the festive period is slightly longer than the usual League breaks due to international commitments, which can be a really positive influence on the team. There’s been a change for the better in our recent performances, and the boys are really looking forward to tomorrow’s game. We’ll see if the Christmas break has made any difference to either team tomorrow. With regards to new signings, I’m only concerned with what’s necessary. It was a shame about Sosa as we’d been in talks with him since November and had his word. We’ll look at another option, but we’ll continue with the current squad. We’re not at all anxious, as we have every chance of new additions joining us for the second round of the League.”
Regarding El Hamdaoui, the German-born manager says he should be back in action very soon: “He’s recovering well from injury, but having been out for over two months, he needs time to get back into the rhythm of the League games. We’re not sure when this will be, although he’s been gradually getting back into group training, as well as focusing on his recovery.”
Lastly, Schuster looks at the possibility of reserve team players making an appearance: “It’s difficult when new players join the first team, as it’s important that the spirit and motivation of the younger players in the reserve team isn’t taken away. We’re looking for a player than can support the team, particularly if they’re already used to playing in this League. So far we’ve included our own reserve team players such as Sergi Darder, Samuel and Fabrice into the first team.”
