The Brazilian striker was satisfied with the result and his feelings on a personal level
After last night’s UEFA Europa League tie against Osmanlispor FK (2-2), Alexandre Pato talked about Sunday’s league clash against Las Palmas (6:30pm CET, El Madrigal). The Brazilian highlighted the difficulty the match entails and that he will be reuniting with a friend and ex-teammate. “It will be a difficult match. We hope to get a good result, because if we do we can think about many good things”, he commented. “I’ll also be reunited with my friend Boateng after a long time apart. We hope it wil be a good match and to get the win. I can’t wait to start playing”.
In terms of the match against the Turks, Pato gave his point of view on how the game developed. “It’s obvious that we didn’t start well in the first half. We gave them a lot of space, and they created and scored two goals”, he explained. But he remained positive: “We would have liked to get the three points, but after letting in two goals it was very difficult, so a point is ok. I’m happy about scoring a goal and about our performance in the second half”.
On a personal level, he evaluated his situation and was happy about the way things are going. “It was a really tough match. We had to play the ball around and go for it. I’m happy because I’m getting better and better. The more you play, the more confidence you have. I know there are many players who want and are able to play, so I have to respect the Manager’s decisions. I feel good now. I have to keep making the most of the minutes I get and keep growing in confidence. I really tried to do that today”, he added.
Praises for Escribá after the match in Ankara
The Yellows striker also wanted to praise the Manager for his job well done, both during the match and the season so far. “At half time, Fran (Escribá) motivated us, asking for a lot more from us and this is really important for the team, because the Manager’s words always help us. In the second half we changed our way of playing and almost made the comeback”.
When asked about his goal, which was the equalizer, he valued his improvement over the past few months and again talked about the Manager. “After a brilliant pass from Rukavina it was easy for me to score. I feel good. I’m working very hard and for me it’s important to play like this for 90 minutes because confidence comes from playing. I have to be grateful for Fran’s confidence, he talks to me a lot. I’m happy about this”.
