The Asturian coach highlighted the maximum difficulty of the match and the importance of winning to consolidate third place (Thursday, 9:30pm)
Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino García Toral spoke to the media to preview the match against Real Oviedo, corresponding to Matchday 33 of LALIGA EA Sports, which will be played this Thursday at 9:30pm at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere.
The Asturian coach predicted a highly intense clash against an opponent who, driven by their fans, are fighting to avoid relegation. “Oviedo are currently in their best moment of the season. They are in the relegation zone, but their current numbers are not those of a team in relegation,” warned Marcelino. He also emphasised the Asturian side’s strong defensive record at home: “They are a team that concedes very few goals at home and have kept clean sheets in recent matches at their stadium.” Therefore, the Yellow coach is clear about the scenario: “We expect maximum difficulty.”
To counter that atmosphere in a stadium “that will be full”, the boss stressed that the team must play their own game. After admitting that they lacked a bit of luck in recent away fixtures, he pointed the way forward: “To win, we need to reach a level similar to the one we had in Bilbao.”
Marcelino also highlighted the outstanding season the Yellow Submarine are having, underlining the demands of this final stretch. “I want to highlight the great merit of everything we are doing. Villarreal’s merit is enormous. We must thank and congratulate these players, who have taken us to 61 points,” he said proudly. He added ambitiously: “We are facing a historic season that we want to continue finishing strongly.”
Finally, the coach underlined the squad’s strong motivation to secure their objectives as soon as possible, noting that qualifying for the Champions League for a second consecutive season is very important for the club. “The Champions League is very close. There is also the possibility of finishing third, and winning in Oviedo means being in that third place,” he explained. Far from settling, he stated that he does not have an obsession, but rather “enthusiasm and a wonderful challenge”, driven by players who “are excited about finishing third.”
Below, you can watch the full press conference of Marcelino García Toral ahead of the match against Real Oviedo:
