Miguel Álvarez highlights the high standard of both teams and the difficulty of the clash
Villarreal B coach Miguel Álvarez analysed the ‘groguet’ team’s next opponent, Barcelona B (Saturday, 7pm CEST), in a press conference. The coach from Jaen pointed out the high level shown by the team the previous day in the victory against Algeciras (3-0) and the importance of recovering injured players for this final stretch of the season. These are the most important statements from the Villarreal B coach:
Good form
“When you win, everything is better. One of the great news this week is that we are back. Due to a thousand things, we had lost our level with and without the ball, but now the team is back at a good level. Besides, it’s the way we came back, I think we played a very good game and we’re in the top places of the table”.
A very demanding end to the season
“There are 24 points left and no one can relax, not even the three of us who are a little further behind because we still have some very important games to play. We have to play against teams that are in great form, for example, Barcelona B who were at the bottom and have now gone three games without losing. Then we have to play teams like Baleares, Real Madrid Castilla or Linares, who are one of the most in-form teams. When there are only a few games left, the matches become more exciting. It’s going to be difficult until the end and whoever is better in every way is going to be the one with the best chances of being up there”.
The importance of recovering players
“The coaches are happier if we have everyone back. You would always like everyone to play, but as coaches what we want is to have all the possibilities. If we have everyone ready, the eleven is stronger, those who come off the bench contribute a lot. The other day against Algeciras, when we made the changes, the team had a tremendous energy boost and the players contributed a lot. That’s very important because in a team it’s not just eleven players, but the whole squad”.
A duel between teams with a lot of flair
“It’s a team that tries to subdue their opponents through possession, although perhaps they are more direct now. They’ve gone back to attacking the spaces, putting the ‘nine’ deep and playing a bit quicker. This makes them more unpredictable. We all know their potential, the matches against Barcelona are always great, with a very attractive game, both at home and away. Each side has its own weapons, I always say that they have what it takes to hurt us, but we also have what it takes to hurt them”.
