The Villarreal manager recognises that the draw against SD Huesca was a ‘fair result’
Villarreal manager Javi Calleja was frustrated that the Yellow Submarine were unable to hold onto victory against SD Huesca: “Although it wouldn’t have been definitive if we had won, it virtually would have been. We’ve got a draw, but we wanted to seal staying up mathematically. Each team had a better half and a share of the points was fair.”
The head coach underlined the influence of the schedule for both teams and their levels of tiredness: “I think fatigue had a big influence in the second half. We were quite worn out. The team played on Thursday, while Huesca played on Tuesday, and that was an important factor.”
Furthermore, Calleja recognised that the Yellows’ second half could have been better tactically: “We lost the midfield. We stopped controlling the ball like we should have been doing because we should have been calmer and had more patience. We lost the opportunity to use the counter-attack and to finish our chances.” Despite that, the Yellows boss added that he did not feel that Huesca took control of the ball either: “It was an open match and there wasn’t a team that clearly dominated the play. We should have had more possession to dominate the match.”
With regards to Vicente Iborra, who missed the game through suspension, Calleja said: “Iborra is an experienced player who is giving us a lot. He’s an important player to miss. In the second half, the game was broken and we were unable to manage the time and the game. Iborra is an expert at that.”
The manager stressed that pressure did not play an influence on the team’s performance: “We came into the game on the back of three consecutive wins and we were mentally prepared. We came into the game strongly, and the responsibility of the team did not weigh them down. I think it is due to physical fatigue.”
Despite the draw, Calleja is expecting the team to stay up in the next three games: “We’re slightly closer. The games go by and it’s in our hands. We have a five point advantage and staying up won’t come cheap. We have to think in the next game, which is against Real Madrid, to mathematically secure survival.” Calleja admitted that it will not be easy: “We are hoping to return from the Bernabéu mathematically safe. It’s an extremely difficult stadium to visit, it’s Real Madrid’s ground, but we are going to fight to return safe.”
