“We have the weapons, we will look for the right approach to compete with Madrid”

Marcelino has praised the virtues of the opposition and assures that his team will be keen to be ambitious at the Santiago Bernabéu (Sunday, 9pm CET)

Villarreal CF head coach, Marcelino García Toral, has appeared before the media to analyse the match against Real Madrid, which will be played this Sunday at 9pm at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Marcelino also acknowledged that the team is going through a difficult time with injuries, but that is no excuse for being competitive: “There are injuries. There are many in some specific positions, but that’s no excuse. We have to compete. We have to give everything in the two remaining games. The setting and the opponent make this match one of the most attractive of the season. We have optimism, ambition to try to win. They have 19 points out of a possible 21 and have only conceded three goals. We have the weapons to hurt them. Now we just need the right approach to do it.”

Regarding Real Madrid, the Yellows’ head coach praised their qualities, predicting a tough game for his side: “They’re an intense team. They run more than last season. They have one of the best attacking records in the league and they hardly concede chances. They’re going to play a lot on our pitch, but we’re showing robustness when we play in a low-mid block. Now we have to focus on the details and avoid making mistakes because Madrid don’t usually let anyone off. In attack, we can hurt them. They leave space and we know how to use the ball. We have a good level in attack and we have to play our trump cards strategically.”

Despite the importance of defending well against the side from the Spanish capital, Marcelino points out that the Submarine can’t just think about that: “We’ll try not to concede. If we manage to do that, we’ll win a point. But we can’t just think about defending. Football involves dominating all phases of the game. Balance gives you the chance to win games with continuity.”

The squad for Real Madrid vs Villarreal

📋 La lista para el #RealMadridVillarreal pic.twitter.com/vrUY3skt6W

— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) December 16, 2023