The Villarreal manager underlined that the team is aware of the difficulty of the match against Athletic
Villarreal manager Javi Calleja underlined this lunchtime that this Sunday’s match against Athletic Club (2pm CET) is very important for the Yellows’ European aspirations. “It’s an important match, we’re aware that a win would bring us towards our aim and also winning away from home gives you a little bonus. What’s more, you’re playing against a side that was a direct opponent of yours at the start of the season, so winning would be important for sure,” he said.
For the head coach, Athletic are a tough team to face: “The bad run they’re on is strange. They’re a team with a great defence that always compete well. There haven’t been much between them and the other sides they’ve faced and they’ve had a lot of draws on their bad run of ten games without a win. Add to that the fact that they’re a team that make it hard for their opponents when they’re at home, so it’s strange that they haven’t won for ten matches. I’m not relying on us to win because of their bad run, they’ll be hurt and more motivated than ever.”
Calleja underlined the path to follow at San Mamés: “We have the same idea as always, dominate possession and when we’re in the final third, be direct and incisive. We want to feel good away from home again after losing at the Wanda, and we want to fight to be as high up the table as possible. As the season goes on, each match is more important, as there aren’t many games left and each tie is definitive.”
To see Calleja’s press conference, in Spanish, click the video logo.
