Javi Calleja underlines the importance of the game against Getafe and explains the path to follow
Villarreal manager Javi Calleja underlined this lunchtime that this Wednesday’s game against Getafe CF (8:30pm CEST) is important for the Yellows’ European aspirations: “We’re not giving up on anything. We’re going to fight to be as high up at the end of the season as possible. The calendar is tough. There are 12 points left to fight for and everything is still to be decided. If we beat Getafe, it will be an important step,” he said.
The head coach underlined the difficulty of the clash at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez: “We know the game Getafe are going to give us. We have to be equal to them in intensity because they are a team that competes to the maximum in every moment. We will need to be at our best and delete the Barcelona game from our minds. There’s a great prize and stake and everything is still to be decided. It will be a real war and each team will try and use their weapons.”
For Calleja, not making errors and being in control of the ball is key: “We will have to be focused and play quickly. Getafe are one of the best teams pressing wise in LaLiga and if we play slowly they will punish us. Getafe will put in an extraordinary amount of work. We will try and win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible to finish quickly. We can’t try and play like them and successfully impose ourselves. It will be a really hard game.”
Another key aspect of the game will be defensive solidity for Calleja: “It’s extremely important for us to try and get a clean sheet. Getafe are a team that you can trust when they’re ahead. We will have to be intelligent and keep calm. We won’t have to be spectacular, but we can’t play their way. We can’t play how Getafe want us to play.”
Villarreal are currently fifth in the table with four games left of the LaLiga season: “It’s a demanding and intense schedule, but there’s a beautiful prize at the end. We’re not lacking motivation or keenness. The match against Barcelona was tough mentally and physically. We didn’t have the ball and we were overrun. It’s not our battle and we’ve recovered. We know what we’re playing for. We’ve cleaned our minds to get the aim that we’ve got in our hands. There will be some changes, and those could be decisive,” he concluded.
To see Calleja’s press conference in Spanish, click here.
