Marcelino and Sergi Cardona assured that the team heads into the match against Bayer Leverkusen with the ambition to finish the competition with a victory (Wednesday, 9pm CET)
Villarreal head coach Marcelino García Toral, accompanied by defender Sergi Cardona, spoke to the media on Tuesday at the BayArena to preview the match against Bayer Leverkusen, corresponding to Matchday 8 of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, which will be played this Wednesday at 9pm CET.
In his first remarks, Marcelino stated that the team approaches the match in Germany with the same attitude as always: “We go into the game with excitement, just as we have done throughout this competition. We are privileged to have played in the Champions League, thanks to the work of this group. Things have not gone as we wanted. The competition has been cruel to this group. We did not deserve these results.”
Regarding the opponent, the Yellow Submarine head coach praised their high level: “They are a team with great potential and one that has invested a lot of money. They have undergone changes, but they have won away at Manchester City and Benfica. It will be a difficult match against an agile, dynamic and fast opponent. They represent very well what German football and this league stand for. We will try to counter it.”
Marcelino also forecasted a tightly contested match: “We want many things to happen in their box and as few as possible in ours. Then it comes down to our accuracy. They will demand a lot from us. We must have ambition and believe in ourselves. I expect a close match, one that will be decided by what happens in the boxes.”
Cardona: “We want to show what we’re capable of”
Villarreal footballer Sergi Cardona stated that the team is eager to prove itself again in European competition: “We want to finish our Champions League campaign in the best possible way. It will not be easy. We know their level and what they are playing for.”
Along the same lines, the Catalan defender stressed that it is time to show pride: “The team has deserved more points than it has earned, but this is not the moment to complain. It is the Champions League and we have to perform well. We want the win.”
