Unai Emery and Pau Torres appeared optimistic before the visit to FC Salsburg
Maximum confidence and excitement. Villarreal CF head coach Unai Emery, and defender Pau Torres, underlined their optimism ahead of this Thursday’s UEFA Europa League Round of 32 match against FC Salzburg in Austria (9pm CET).
“Salzburg are an experienced team of high quality, who play very well. They’ve come down from the Champions League, where they did very well. We need to forge our own path in this competition, and we are going to try and strengthen our position and move closer to winning the tie. We’re excited to try and achieve great things in this competition,” said Emery.
For the Basque manager, the last few results shouldn’t affect Villarreal’s potential: “We have to get rid of any doubts we have and to that we need confidence to re-establish ourselves. The challenge is to forget about any past results and find our way once again. We need to recover our personality, our style, we need to play very well tactically and physically, and be very aware of their transitions and their firepower. We’re expecting a very tough knockout game and a lot is going to be demanded from us.”
According to Emery, the match will be tightly contested across the two games: “Playing the second leg at home doesn’t change anything. We need to compete every minute and know it’s a long knockout tie. The idea is to compete at our best every minute. They’re very dangerous and they have players who, if you lose the ball, they will push forward dangerously. We’ve analysed them a lot and we know what we’ll be facing, I’ve already said they’re a very good team.”
With regards to the Austrian side, Emery underlined their ability: “It’s true that the players you have at your disposal will be an important factor, and they have two players missing in defence, but they have young players with a lot of potential, so we are clear that they’ll be dangerous. They will cover the players missing well, and I’m sure that they’ll continue with their playing style of always. They won’t change because of that.”
Pau: “We’re heading to Austria with respect, but we want to return to winning ways”
Pau expects a tight game, although he completely trusts in the Submarine’s chances. “The team has moved on, we want to win, and change our current form, and go on a good run in the league. We’re going into it with the idea of winning in Salzburg.”
The Yellows No.4 recognised that the team needs to improve. “It’s true that the results aren’t what we would have wanted, but we have a good chance to change the bad run and get back to a good place. We’re in a tough run, but the season is very long and there will always be better and worse moments. I think that we’ve now overcome the worst and we’re going to improve. Now we’re into the knockout tie that we knew was coming, and we’re going to Salzburg with respect, but we want to win.”
Finally, Pau warned of the Austrian side’s danger: “We know the potential they have. They’re very direct in attack and we shouldn’t let them run. We need to control the game and have the ball. It’s a two-legged tie, and we need to think about that, and not lose focus. They’re a big team who looked good in the Champions League, they’re a team with quick transitions and young players who want to show how good they are.”
See the press conference with Emery and Torres by clicking play.
