Elche CF
“Elche are a team in a state of maturity, currently. After some time working with the same coach, they’ve been able to maintain an idea of play that has provided variants. They have varied the players and the idea of play a little in regard to last season when we played them. From our point of view, they are a well-balanced team with the ability to adapt to different styles of play, both in defence and attacking situations. They are a dangerous side and have a leader on the squad, Nino, who shows season after season that great players are like fine wines”.
Internationals
“The internationals have returned on good physical form, with the obvious fatigue of having played, particularly Mikel, and long journeys. They were in training towards the latter part of the week, when they re-joined the squad. We have prepared for the match with the players we had, from the beginning until the end, to try to make the most of the time we had to get ready for each game”.
Renato and Lombán
“Lombán and Renato have been training gradually during the week. The feelings were good, and the tests carried out went well, which allowed us to include them in the list of called-up players”.
Finishing
“I am insistent on finishing techniques and in perfecting the final pass, which is crucial for the shot. The finish depends on that last pass which relies on good organisation on the attack. Over the past five matches, we’ve been the team with the second highest number of shots at goal per game, after Rayo. This gives us peace of mind in terms of generating goal opportunities, but we need to work on our aim in the last pass and with the shot at the target”.
