The Villarreal CF head coach has admitted that his team will need to be close to their best to get a positive result at the RCDE Stadium (Saturday, 9pm)
Villarreal CF manager Marcelino García Toral spoke to the media this Friday to preview the upcoming LALIGA EA Sports Matchday 12 fixture against RCD Espanyol, which will be played this Saturday at 9pm at the RCDE Stadium.
The Asturian coach acknowledged that the defeat against Pafos FC serves as a warning ahead of the coming challenges: “The loss in Cyprus was a disappointment for everyone. That game doesn’t define Villarreal or the season we’re having. We must learn from what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again, but we can’t dwell on it. We need to focus on the next match. We’re in good form in the league, and our only goal now is to compete well against Espanyol and get a positive result.”
Regarding the opponent, Marcelino highlighted Espanyol’s competitiveness and the difficulty of the match: “We know they’re a very good team. They’ve won four of their six home matches. They’re competitive and play good football, as shown by their results. They work hard, attack well, defend well and are very disciplined. They’ll demand our best version, and we want to show that with enthusiasm and ambition.”
Managing fatigue will also be key ahead of Saturday’s clash. The Villarreal boss confirmed that there will be some changes in the starting eleven: “There will be changes, just as we’ve done so far. We don’t differentiate between competitions. The recovery days determine our decisions. Tomorrow we’ll decide who plays based on their physical condition. We can’t always start with the same eleven — that wouldn’t be good for the team.”
Finally, Marcelino praised the strong identity of the Catalan side: “Whoever plays for them, nothing changes. They have a very clear identity. The coach is doing a great job, and the players fully reflect that. They’re competitive with and without the ball, dangerous in transitions, and statistically the team that runs the most in the league in recent games. We know that, so it won’t surprise us.”
You can watch the full press conference with Marcelino García Toral ahead of the match against RCD Espanyol below:
