Unai Emery underlined that Osasuna go into the game in a great run of form after a fantastic start to the season
Villarreal CF head coach Unai Emery appeared in front of the media this week to analyse the build-up to the league game against CA Osasuna (Sunday, 6:30pm CEST).
During his press conference, the Basque manager emphasised the good start of the season that the Yellows’ next opponents have had, with them currently in the European spots with 14 points: “They started very strongly, winning in Mallorca, Cádiz and Vitoria. They’re fluid with and without the ball, as well as having a lot of presence in the opposition half. They are fluid with and without the ball, and they have a lot of presence in the opposition half. They demand a lot positionally with and without the ball. They’re full of confidence and they’re in the European spots at the moment. It will be a great game.”
To overcome Osasuna, Emery underlined that Villarreal will need to be at their best: “It’s a very important challenge. They are going to demand a lot from us. It’s an important game, it’s more than just three points. If you win, you draw level with them, and if you lose, they’ve got six more points than you. Last year they beat us at home. To stop that from happening again, we need to continue growing as a team and improve on certain things from the last few games.”
After the international break, the head coach recognised that a number of players will return ahead of the upcoming games. “Estupiñán and Foyth are back tomorrow for Sunday’s match. The rest of the players who went on international duty have been training with us for the last few days. With respect to the players who have been out injured, Raúl Albiol, Paco Alcácer and Gerard Moreno are now training alongside the group. Dani Raba is also back after his ankle injury. Boulaye Dia isn’t working with the group yet. Everyone else is in good shape.”
Finally, Emery highlighted the importance of being strong at home, and having the fans behind the team: “Feeling strong at the Estadio de la Cerámica is important for us. Our fans help us. We like to play in front of our people. They need to be keen to be with us and enjoy such an exciting season.”
