Unai Emery has calle don t he team to be confident to try and overcome Elche CF (Sunday, 6:30pm CEST)
Villarreal CF head coach Unai Emery spoke to the media this Friday at the press conference ahead of the match against Elche CF (Sunday, 6:30pm CEST), corresponding to Matchday 4 of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season, which will be played at the Estadi Ciutat de València. The Yellows manager has highlighted the incentive of playing again in front of their own fans and the potential difficulties of the match.
After the draw at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez against Getafe (0-0), Villarreal, unbeaten in the league, will be looking to get back to winning ways against Elche CF. This is how Emery describes the upcoming opponents: “Elche are a very well-drilled team. Last year, under Francisco, they made things difficult for us at their ground and we lost 1-0. We have a lot of respect for them and we are preparing for the game with confidence but knowing it will demand a lot from us.”
The Submarine will play for the first time in LaLiga at the Ciutat de València. The Baque manager called on the fans: “This week we play in Valencia after three away games where the team responded very well. The challenge on Sunday is to feel that we are playing at home, as we did against Hajduk, where I felt the fans’ encouragement..
The Yellows coach also spoke about the closing of the transfer window: “I am happy because we are not changing the structure. We have achieved a combination of people with experience and young people that I like and I’m excited to work with.” When asked about Johan Mojica, the new signing, Emery added: “He is a great player. We demand a lot from our full-backs as we want them to run the flank and be, practically, our wingers. Mojica fits the profile and we will have to work with him on the defensive side to maintain the structure.”
