Villarreal B will face Málaga CF on Saturday at 6:30pm CEST at La Rosaleda
Villarreal B head coach Miguel Álvarez appeared in front of the media ahead of the match against Málaga CF, corresponding to Matchday 7 of the 2022/23 LaLiga SmartBank, which will take place on Saturday 24th September at 6:30pm CEST at La Rosaleda. He analysed the upcoming match and spoke about two players in particular: Gianni Cassaro and Diego Collado. Here are the standout quotes from Álvarez.
About the opposition
“Málaga CF’s squad is made up to be higher in the table, but sometimes football isn’t as fair as it should be in terms of result. La Rosaleda is a great stadium where a sensational match will be played in front of a historic team and fans.”
Growth
“On Matchday 6, being higher or lower in the table is significant but up to a certain point. All that we want to see is the work we’ve been doing since we lost 4-1 at the Ciutat de València reflected. We want to compete at the level that the division demands and to see that the boys have understood what we need.”
Ambition
“I always expect the best from my team, we work on that, we had a very hard pre-season, but I am aware that the league is tough and we’re happy with the ten points we’ve got. Beyond that, we are happy with the growth we see in the team. Neither losing 4-1 nor winning 3-0 makes us stray from our journey, which is collective and individual growth. I think that has been important over the years, and because of that, we are working on it.”
Trusting Gianni
“Last year Gianni already was playing at an important level. He knows his role, but he is more than a goalkeeper in the squad, he is a captain without being the captain, he helps the young goalkeepers, he helps the team and the coaching staff, he is a professional with integrity and a great guy. We have complete confidence in him.”
Collado, Matchday 6 MVP
“He has started every game and I have a lot of faith in him. My assessment is very positive. He has been unlucky with injuries and that has slowed down a process that was going very well. The injuries hurt him a lot emotionally. Every day, he is getting stronger in that aspect and that is one of the most important things to get to professional football. He’s started the season strongly, without any injuries and with continuity. The best thing about him is not what he has given us so far, but what we believe he can give us in the future. If he keeps working in the same way, it’s going to be great news for us.”
