The German-born coach comments: “Almería always play very good football and usually score in every match, however this is the first time they haven’t managed to get a goal. They showed a good attacking display and created goal opportunities, but luck was on our side and we’re very pleased with this win.”
“From a physical point of view Málaga are very fit, and have been since the start of the season, which is a great help in tough matches. You can tell when a rival team is beginning to tire, they lose rhythm on the pitch, whereas we always maintain a steady pace, which doesn’t alter when we make substitutions. Our fitness really helps us to keep the pressure on our rivals and maintain a balanced game play. Málaga are a strong squad, who have a lot of opportunities to get goals in every match. We scored our first goal from a set piece tonight, Portillo was very impressive throughout, and it’s crucial that we maintain a high level of confidence. If we do things right from the start and maintain a solid defence, the goal opportunities will always come,” affirms the coach.
Referring to the ‘Malaguista’ goals, Schuster adds: “We were looking for that first goal from the kick-off, we were determined to score from a set piece and tonight we did it. Portillo put on a very high quality performance this evening, he’s a strong player, which is why he’s a regular in the line-up. He’s in great shape and forms a powerful partnership with Jesús Gámez on the wing. Not conceding goals in a match is always very positive.”
