For the first time this season, Míchel Sánchez, Girona coach, will have more healthy players than injured ones. A novelty that has restored tranquility and a certain relief to the Madrid coach, who in a press conference raised the category of the match against Espanyol as something different from the rest, because it is a derby and because of the importance he knows it has for the fans. Furthermore, he shied away from any type of conflict and vindicated the history of Girona.
“It’s a different game, a derby. It is a match that you want to play because there is a rivalry, which should only be sporting, but for our people it is a special match and the player has to know it and knows it,” Míchel highlighted to begin with the derby.
I expect a very difficult and complicated match
The worst First Division visitor arrives at Montilivi, but far from being confident, the coach warned of the dangers of Manolo González’s team. “I expect a very difficult and complicated match. Already in preseason we played and tied. At home we want to win for our fans and even more so because it is a derby.”
The Madrid coach is especially concerned about Espanyol’s game “in transition.” “They are a very good team. They have players like Puado and Jofre who are also from the youth team and who have a lot of speed and quality. Kral is also doing things well. They have very good things. Away from home they have suffered a lot but we have to do very well,” he warned.
Our structure has to be very good to be able to avoid these transitions, the surveillance has to be top in this match”
In order to avoid Espanyol’s transitions, Míchel considers it key to “dominate the game and be able to reach places with the ball where the counterattack will be more difficult.” The coach said he expected “a very good version of Espanyol. It is a team that runs a lot with the ball and without the ball. It is a very sacrificed team. With the ball they are a very direct team that gains space quickly. Our structure has to be very good to be able to avoid these transitions, the surveillance has to be top in this game,” he warned.
The coach was pleased to be able to have a good part of the squad for a period with many games, although he warned that they will have to introduce them little by little. “It gives me peace of mind to have more people to play with, but we have to look at each person’s process. It’s very good because now you have two players per position, before it wasn’t like that. It happens to me in many positions. I look match by match. For our best version we need everyone prepared. In the next two or three weeks the team will be able to play each game at 100%,” he hoped.
Finally, he did not want to enter into comparisons with respect to the history of his rival tomorrow. “We have our history and Espanyol has theirs and it is very good too. It is a good and healthy rivalry. For me our story is very good too. In the Champions League I liked that there were people who played with Girona in the Third and Second Division. History is always behind us and Espanyol has its own and it is very good too. It is not comparable. I don’t want to compare. And I don’t want to be the second team from Catalonia, nor the first. Last year we almost beat Barça in the classification. History is to enjoy, not to compare with others. We have to be proud of our history. And we are.
#Míchel #History #enjoyed #compared
