Marcelino has shown his frustration with Villarreal’s defeat at Montilivi

Villarreal head coach Marcelino García Toral expressed his disappointment after his team’s defeat to Girona in a match in which the Submarine improved in the second half. In the end, a solitary own goal by Pau Navarro decided the game (1-0).

Self-criticism

“We played the first half below our level. The opponent dominated us for large stretches. In the few chances we had going forward, we weren’t able to make them count. We were unlucky with the goal we conceded. We did less than we are capable of. In the second half, I’m satisfied: we improved, and that allowed us to play in the opponent’s half. They defended well. We had two fairly clear chances for Gerard. If we had played the full 90 minutes as we did in the second half, we could have achieved a positive result.”

Key to the defeat

“It’s a matter of tempo. If you lose duels and the opponent reaches the ball first, they dominate you. In the build-up we lacked continuity and started to drift apart. Offensively, our players were below their best level, unlike what they showed against Real Sociedad. In football, you have to win duels. We started well, but faded during the first half. We were below in intensity, and the opponent took advantage. We defended the box well, but fluency comes with the mobility of all players and precision on the ball.”

Fight for third place

“Today we had a very good opportunity and we could have done much better. We can win or lose, but if we lose playing as we did in the second half, we must congratulate the opponent. Our first half was very much improvable. Losing always hurts. The team worked hard and the attitude is beyond question. We are capable of much more.”