Alberto Díaz and Pepe Pozas, from Malaga, friends and bases of Unicaja and Coosur Real Betis respectively, they staged a virtual meeting this Wednesday in which they answered a good handful of questions regarding the derby that both teams will play this Sunday at the Martín Carpena (12:30 p.m.) and that could be decisive at qualifying level. The two Andalusian teams are immersed in the fight for permanence in the ACB and the appointment is key.
The typesetter does not hide that Sunday’s will not be just another game: “It is a very intense match, the regional derbies have always been lived with a lot of tensionwith a lot of pre-match bite. In these derbies you start to notice the pressure from days before, there is tension for trying to impose yourself in your region. We know that It’s going to be a battle, the two teams have a lot at stake in the standings. Also in the community, in that hallmark of being a winner, you always like it. It will live intensely. The Andalusian derby is always special.”
The stake will be doubly attractive for Pozas, who knows the Malaga court well: “Without a doubt, returning to the Carpena with an audience, with the pavilion full, is special. They are very nice and important games. Because of the situation that the teams are experiencing, what Carpena encourages and feels…”. The Betis point guard recognizes that it has been a very tough year for the Sevillian team: “It is a difficult season, not only from qualifying. Since the beginning of the season, with players who come and go, others who come from long injuries… There are many games left against direct teams, such as Malaga now. Now the results have perhaps a greater impact.”
Nor is it being a good course for Unicaja, rather the opposite. “We both have a difficult situation. We haven’t had a good season and that makes this derby more tense and more important. He’s tougher than he’s usually used to”, said Díaz, who warned of the Verdiblanco’s potential: “Shannon Evans is exceptional, he’s the greatest game generator, it’s going to be difficult to stop him. They have a long bench, very complete, with veteran players who can help a lot. All teams try to stop Evans and he is capable of generating, playing for the team and scoring points. We have to do it together.”
Díaz and Pozas grew up together in the Unicaja youth academy and know each other perfectly. Both predict a nice duel on the track. “We both know each other’s strengths. We use it in games, we try to squeeze when it can cost us the most. Having played and trained so much together makes us know each other very well. Alberto’s strong point is that he never lowers his arms, he always fights, he always believes that he will do better and believes that everything is possible. That thought and sacrifice that makes him have an enviable character is his main weapon “, wielded Pepe Pozas.
Alberto Díaz, for his part, emphasized that they know each other “perfectly. Although we are friends, on the track we think about how to stop it, scouting is there. Be so friends. I would emphasize that in every way he is a person who always thinks of others, of the team and outside, without thinking of himself. A player like that is very important in any locker room. He makes your day more enjoyable, in a long season with so much pressure is something that is appreciated “.
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