Javi Calleja backs the side to be ‘intelligent’ and keep up the ‘attitude’ from the first leg against Sporting CP

Villarreal manager Javi Calleja appeared in front of the press this lunchtime to analyse the build-up to the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie against Sporting Clube de Portugal (Thursday, 6:55pm CET, Estadio de la Cerámica). The Yellows boss underlined that to get through the knockout tie against Sporting CP, the team needs to show ambition, without thinking about the 0-1 win from the first leg.

“We have put the tie on the right track. We are going into the match with an advantage, but we need to show that on the pitch. We need to have the same attitude as we had in the first leg. We need to be ambitious. When you play to get a draw, what happens normally is the other team punish you. We need to go onto the pitch to win and be intelligent. We need to be ourselves and go for the game,” commented Calleja.

Calleja also warned about the opponent’s rival: “I’m expecting Sporting to be more like the side they were against Braga. They showed a high level and they will try and repeat that. It surprised us that they played with three in defence, and we think they could do that again. The played well.”

The Yellows have now kept three consecutive clean sheets in their last three games in all competitions. In the Europa League, they have gone five matches in a row without letting in a goal. “Wins help and they give you more confidence, but we’ve always believed in ourselves. Passage to the next round is open, but slightly in our favour. Keeping a clean sheet would send us through, but we can’t relax. We need to try and win the match. All the team is committed and doing a good job. I see a more solid Villarreal, a more trustworthy one, and the results aren’t fruit of luck,” he concluded.

Funes Mori: “The tie isn’t over”

The other man to appear in front of the press was Ramiro Funes Mori. The Argentine centre-back expects an intense European tie against Sporting Clube de Portugal: “We have to do what we’ve been doing in recent matches. Having the ball, defending well and knowing when to suffer and when to cause damage up front. We also need to be focused on our play. It is going to be a tough match because they have quality. In the first leg we kept a clean sheet, and we should have the same aims. We want to play better than we did in the first leg. The last few matches have been positive.”

For Funes Mori, the path to follow is clear: “The truth is that in the last three matches, we’ve done very good things. There are 90 minutes left and the tie isn’t over. We want to be solid in defence and efficient in attack. We will try and stop them from scoring against us. We are playing at home and that’s a factor in our favour. They’re a big team, one that plays well and we must do our job well.”

The Yellows defender underlined his hope at going far in the competition: “We need to go game by game. Getting into the Europa League was a great achievement last year and we’re not going to throw it away. We need to follow the same path. The European match gave us a lot of confidence, we could beat Sevilla and we’re currently in a good moment. We should be calm, know that we have a slight advantage, but we should work a lot and do things well to get to the last 16.”