The Mini Submarine take on Real Valladolid this Monday at 8:30pm CET
Villarreal B head coach Miguel Álvarez appeared at the press conference ahead of Matchday 20 of LALIGA Hypermotion against Real Valladolid, which will take place on Monday 18th December at 8:30pm CET at the Estadio de la Cerámica. There, he spoke about the opponent’s strengths and how to minimise them, the team’s personality against the big teams in the division after beating Espanyol and Eibar, the long week of work they have had to face the clash and the possible return of Alberto del Moral to the pitch.
Here is what Miguel Álvarez had to say:
Another level challenge at home
“Another game against an important team that six months ago was playing against the first team. They have a squad with a lot of top-flight players and potential, as their position in the league table indicates. We will try to compete. If you think about the opposition and don’t have personality against them, you have a hard time. We are better at home and against Valladolid we want to do better. We have prepared the match with all the love in the world.”
Long week of work
“These long weeks give you the chance to work on things that you don’t have time for in more compressed weeks. We have worked on individual objectives, strengthening what we are good at and taking a small step forward in what is penalising us and thinking about the opponent we have ahead of us.”
Del Moral’s return
“We’re not going to discover Alberto now. He is a very important man, our captain, because of what he gives us in the game with and without the ball. Aitor has had his chance in the last two months and has proved to be a very good possibility. We are very happy with him. Another one for the cause. In these two games everyone will have to contribute. Alberto is an animal, he could play both games, but we have to look after him in the matchday we are in.”
Minimising the opponent’s strengths
“We have personality in our own game. We’re defending a bit better on set pieces and in the box. We’re still penalised by the opposition’s transitions and we’re working on that. They have brutal potential. Undoubtedly, we have to improve on the ball, we lack continuity in our play. As long as we don’t improve offensively, we’ll have difficulty defensively and there’s a waste of energy for the opposition. That’s where our best is. We have to attack very well because the more we’re without the ball the more we’re going to suffer, but we have to improve defensively when they take us to a low block.”
