Marcelino highlights the difficulty of the match against a dangerous Rayo Vallecano side (Saturday, 2pm CET)
Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino García Toral spoke to the media this Friday to preview the upcoming match against Rayo Vallecano, which will be played this Saturday at 2pm CET at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
The Asturian coach began the press conference by stressing the difficulty of facing an in-form team: “We’re up against a very tough opponent. They’ve picked up a lot of points away from home. They’ve beaten Real Sociedad and Levante in their last two away games. They’ve won three in a row and have a very clear identity. We know it will be a difficult match that will demand our very best if we want to win.”
In the same vein, Marcelino analysed the virtues of a very direct Rayo Vallecano side that can be dangerous in open spaces: “They don’t give you a moment to breathe. They press very high and allow you very little time on the ball. They force you to attack quickly, and if you don’t finish the play, they counter at great speed. They have pace and movement in behind the defence. If we play their game, we’ll find it very hard to win. We must impose our own style with calm and precision. That will make it easier for the match to go our way. However, matches are decided in the boxes. It will be a tough game, but we must avoid it becoming end-to-end, as that would favour Rayo.”
The Villarreal CF head coach also expressed his gratitude for the fans’ support in recent home games at La Cerámica: “We’re very happy. A lot of people are coming to the stadium and showing their support. The team is also doing things well and earning that encouragement. We’re demanding with our players, and I think that mentality is positive for everyone — including our fans.”
Finally, Marcelino expressed his satisfaction at having recovered almost all of his squad, except for the long-term injured players: “It’s great news, and as the weeks go by, they’ll reach their full potential. We’ve got Ayoze and Gerard back in attack; they’re getting minutes and training sessions under their belt. Both are important players who increase our attacking potential. The level of competition within the squad is very good and raises the team’s performance. Hopefully, we can continue like this and stay injury-free for most of the season.”
You can watch Marcelino García Toral’s full pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Rayo Vallecano below:
