Luis García recognised that the team was lacking in attack against Athletic Club

Villarreal manager Luis García underlined that his team did enough to beat Athletic Club, despite the team not being at its best in attack: “Today, we were blunt in attack. We created very few chances, but Athletic didn’t make many goalscoring opportunities either. It was a match that whoever scored would win.”

The head coach hailed the defensive work his side put in, despite the own goal: “I think in defence, we had one of our best games, forgetting the own goal which was just unlucky. We didn’t suffer in defence at all really. The situation we’re in is hard and it takes its toll and weighs on the players. We weren’t at easy with the ball. It was the game where we found it most hard to reach the area since I arrived. If we lose once every five matches, we will get out of the bottom three. The players need to play with freedom.”

Regarding the future, the head coach showed is optimism ahead of upcoming matches: “We need to show the sufficient character to play as if we weren’t in the situation we are. We need to carry on like we are, and the hard work we’re putting in will help us reach our best level.”

García also thanked the fans’ support: “The supporters know the players are suffering and that things aren’t going right for them. I want to thank them for the support in the bad moments. The players were motivated because of the public reaction.”

To conclude, he looked ahead to the Yellow Submarine’s next match against Valencia: “When the victory comes, the team will take off and breathe a bit more easily and be happier once more. The next match is at Mestalla and we need to be able to win.”