The midfielder hopes Villarreal continue to be “reliable” against SSC Napoli
This Thursday Villarreal faces SSC Napoli in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 second leg to be played in the San Paolo stadium (21:05pm CET). The Yellows go to Italy with a 1-0 lead gained at El Madrigal. Tomás Pina predicts another very even match: “We’re ready for an intense game. Together with their fans they will try to make a comeback as of course they would love to go forward in the competition. We expect a very intense match, but we have already shown that we are reliable in similar situations”.
The Submarine drew in the Calderón last Sunday (0-0) in another big matchup. “We’re doing well, not just because of the match against Atlético but because of the great team dynamic we have. It’s difficult to beat us and that gives us confidence to be more at ease on the pitch. Our results speak for themselves and we’ve got good vibes in the team. We’re really excited about the match against Napoli. We already have a good result and of course we can’t wait to go on in the competition”, Pina asserted.
According to the Yellow number 4, if Villarreal can get through to the next round it will demonstrate that they again want to shine in Europe: “Villarreal is getting back to playing at the highest level in Europe. We are in the best times of the club. If we get through to the next round though it will turn even more heads and show that Villarreal want to live great nights in Europe again”.
Pina believes the key to go forward in the competition will be how solid they are defensively: “We are a difficult opponent, above all because we are so solid at the back. Recently it’s difficult to unsettle us, but this is football and anything can happen. In a match of this caliber if you don’t go out at 100% they’ll make you pay for it. We’re fourth and they’re fighting for the title in Italy. It’s not a typical Round of 32 tie. It was drawn this way and it’s the game we have to play. It is, without a doubt, a high flying fixture”.
To finish, Pina said he expects a great atmosphere in San Paolo: “I have never played there before. I’ve spoken with Víctor Ruiz though and he told me that there’s something different about the atmosphere there, that the fans are very passionate. Personally speaking games like this really motivate me. The atmosphere will be similar to that against Atlético, but the fact that it’s a knockout phase tie changes everything because elimination from the competition is at stake”.
