Marcelino has predicted an evenly-matched duel with a lot of direct play at Butarque (Sunday, 6:30pm CET)
Villarreal head coach, Marcelino García Toral, appeared before the media this Friday to analyse the match against CD Leganés, corresponding to Matchday 18, which will take place this Sunday at 6.30pm CEST at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
In his first intervention, the Asturian coach pointed out that it’s time to make one last push before welcoming 2025: “We’re having quite a few injuries, but we don’t want it to serve as an excuse. We just adapt to it and try to compete in the best possible way. We want to give it our all as we always do to try to get a win to end the year with.”
Despite it being the last game of the year, Marcelino doesn’t give it any more importance than the rest of the games in the competition: “It’s three points, regardless of the run of form. Our mentality is always to go out to win. We always approach every game with the aim of getting the three points. That’s the only idea we have in our heads. Our mentality is to have ambition.”
With regard to Leganés, the head coach warns of their ability to take on evenly matched games and resort to direct play: “It will be a very difficult game. No rival gives you anything for free. Leganés have a very direct game and there will be a lot of second play. They have good counter-attacking players and they use it well. They are the second team in the LALIGA that has been level for the most minutes. We have to make an effort in the physical aspect and we have to be accurate in the penalty area. They are used to very evenly matched games. We have to be cautious, but with ambition, optimism and enthusiasm to win.”
Finally, Marcelino took stock of the year 2024: “It’s been a very good year for us. With the efforts of everyone at the club, Villarreal saved a very complicated situation at the beginning of the year. We have done well on a sporting level’. Similarly, as well as health, the Asturian has asked the new year to improve defensively: ‘For 2025, I would ask to concede fewer goals. We concede too many and it has penalised us. We are a team that scores goals at home, but you can’t be the team that concedes the most at home if you want to be at the top of the table. We have to sort it out.”
