Bernd Schuster knows how difficult the game against the Green and Whites will be: “Coming up against a team at the bottom of the table is always going to be tough. Betis have had a lot of bad luck, which is why they’re in the position they’re in. However they’re always a strong side in front of their fans, and thrive on the support and atmosphere at their home ground. They’re now going all out to try and cling on to First Division dreams, and there are still a lot of points in play. We’re fully aware of how difficult it will be to play the bottom team, although their recent performances have shown they don’t deserve to be there. It’s crucial that we’re in control of the match from the start, maintain a strong attacking display and a solid defence, as the crowd will be behind the rival for 90 minutes. I think it’ll be an entertaining match, we’ve been playing well in away games and putting on a brave performance.”
With regards to the line-up, the Málaga coach has more players available to him for tomorrow’s game: “Only Duda, Pablo Pérez and Tissone (through injury) were unable to play, everyone else was available for the selection. To an extent, the rival determined the choice of called-up players, and we’ve seen a great improvement in others who deserve a chance to play. Rescaldani is playing a lot better now, having taken a while to adapt to the team, and he’s physically match-fit.”
Schuster believes the team will take an important step forward if they bring three points back from the Benito Villamarín tomorrow: “We’re not even thinking about getting closer to the relegation zone. This match will be like a final to us, but we’re confident in ourselves if we work together as a team. It’s important that we only focus on our results, as playing on a Monday night isn’t always a good thing. However we’ve been training well, and despite last Tuesday’s defeat against Espanyol, the boys are in good spirits.”
The German-born coach says the team has improved a lot in recent matches: “The guys know what they have to do tomorrow in order to take the reins of the match.”
Lastly, Schuster talks about Duda’s suspension: “I think a four-match ban is absurd, but we have to accept it and move on, despite it being a tremendous blow for the team. Duda is such an important player, and four matches without him will be tough, however we’ve got other players who will take his place so we can achieve positive results.”
