The Villarreal head coach was satisfied with the Yellows’ performance against Girona (0-3)
Villarreal manager Javi Calleja appeared in front of the media to analyse the victory against Girona (0-3), and the passage into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. The Yellows head coach underlined the character with which his team went into the tie: “I’m very happy. We put in a good match, showing a lot of character. We kept our focus and our intensity throughout the 90 minutes. It was us who dominated from the start, but in the first half we lacked that killer instinct. As the game went on, the match opened up and we created a lot of chances.”
Calleja underlined how Villarreal are committed to going as far as possible in the Copa del Rey: “The team gave its all. It’s a competition that excites us and allows us to dream. Despite the result, it wasn’t an easy match. The trip and the weather haven’t been ideal and we also had to face a tough opponent.”
The Submarine’s head coach emphasised how the performance at Montilivi is the way the Yellows should be playing in the upcoming games. “We put the step backwards against Espanyol behind us. We have to focus on ourselves and be a recognisable team. We need to stay focus and show intensity in the opposition half, and win the ball back after we lose it. As we showed today, we must be a competitive team without the ball and use our players’ quality when we have possession.”
Finally, Calleja congratulated academy player Fer Niño for his first-team debut: “I’m very happy for him. He’s another player who’s made his debut for us. He was very good, making the most of his time on the pitch. He has to continue this path and hopefully he can continue to help us when the team needs him.”
