The Asturian head coach has underlined that the team must face the match against Espanyol with the maximum demand (Sunday, 4:15pm CEST)
Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino García Toral appeared before the media this Friday to analyse the match against RCD Espanyol, corresponding to Matchday 26 of the 2024/25 LALIGA season, which was postponed due to the flooding alert.
The coach reminded the media that the team is fighting for the objectives set out at the start of the season: “Now we face the game knowing that we depend on ourselves to be fifth. There are six games left and we want to win as many as we can to fight for the Champions League. We have to enjoy these games, which are extremely demanding. We all wanted to be in this situation at this stage of the competition and that’s how we approach it.”
With regard to the Catalan side, Marcelino stressed that they are at a high level going into the game: “There was a change in the second half of the season. They stopped conceding goals. They are a very balanced, solid and committed team. They counter attack very well. They are very good in front of goal. They have only conceded two goals in the last five games. They have one of the best goalkeepers in LALIGA.”
He also assured that this is the most important match of all the remaining games, as it is the next one: “They are all important because they are all worth three points. The most important game is the next one. We don’t think beyond that. We are the only team at the top that plays this game, so it’s good for us to be able to score when our rivals have already done so. We would have liked to play when it was postponed, but it’s our turn to play now and we’re doing it with the best attitude. Let’s hope that the stadium is full and that they help us to win. We have to win.”
Taking advantage of the appearance, Marcelino appealed to the fans to help the Submarine to victory: “We would like to have the support of the fans when the games get complicated. We ask them to come, with affection and respect. But it’s up to the individual. We respect them and we will work hard so that those who come leave happy.”
