Girona faces a crossroads in Montilivi this Tuesday (6:45 p.m.). The first premise is to enjoy the Champions League, regardless of the result, but at the same time they need to win so as not to border on elimination against none other than Liverpool, probably the fittest team on the continent, leader in the Premier and in Europe.
“It is a team that dominates all the concepts of the game. But in football anything is possible. We have to compete with our best version. You may not even win, but it will serve as recognition of our game. Let everyone be proud. This is what I have asked of the team. It will surely be a historic day,” Míchel explained in the preview of the duel against the English team.
Facing Real Madrid and Liverpool makes you grow and you have to take advantage of it. “If we learn we will be a better team.”
The Girona coach highlighted that the Reds are a “very dynamic” team, “with changes in structure at any time”, and with “great intensity and great pressure”, in addition to being strong in “duels” and in the “air game”, which allows them to “defend the area well” when it is their turn to withdraw in defense.
“They subdue you. It’s very difficult to stop. They double us at high intensity. That’s why we have to think about ourselves,” said a Vallecano coach whose goal for his team is “to be aggressive with the ball and without the ball,” making Arne Slot’s team “uncomfortable.” Míchel also wants to “take the ball away” from Liverpool, something that involves “giving more passing lines and being more accurate.” “Against Madrid we were soft. We need that attention capacity to defend players of this level for 90 minutes,” he stressed on the aspects to improve regarding the defeat against the whites.
Míchel and Oriol Romeu, at the press conference prior to the match with Girona.
“Facing Real Madrid and Liverpool makes you grow and you have to take advantage of it. If we learn we will be a better team (…) It seems that enjoying the Champions League is not giving your best performance and it is quite the opposite. We are very competitive. We have the ‘Gironi pride’ of being humble but wanting to take steps forward. You grow in victory, in defeat and when you compete at 100%,” he explained.
For the Madrid coach, the duel against Anfield is “special”, a “dream as a player” that he could not realize. “I played in the UEFA Cup and Liverpool was there too. It was an illusion and after qualifying for the Champions League it was a rival that I wanted,” he recalled, in addition to adding that the confrontation is also “special” for Girona.
It seems that enjoying the Champions League is not giving your best performance and it is quite the opposite. “We are very competitive”
“For motivation, enthusiasm and atmosphere we must be ourselves. We need the fans to encourage us at all times. We have to enjoy it,” the Madrid native said about the importance of the fans, and that among his wishes against Liverpool is for Stuani to score. “He is looking for that goal in the Champions League that he deserves. The dream is to beat Liverpool 1-0 with a goal from Stuani in the 90th minute,” he concluded about the Uruguayan, the club’s all-time top scorer, who has more options to start after Miovski’s injury, with a sprain in the ankle, suffered in training this Monday.
“It is still a match that you must approach as unique and historic but at the same time it is important to win to have a chance of passing. Playing at home, with our best version, we can stand up to an entire team like Liverpool. It’s not impossible. We will have a unique atmosphere and we will push from minute one. I hope we reach the end of the game with a chance to win and then qualify,” said Oriol Romeu, who has faced the Reds on several occasions during his time in the Premier League.
I’m enjoying it more in the field, in the version that I like the most. Before, a mistake affected me more.”
“I’m enjoying it more on the field, in the version that I like the most. Before, a mistake affected me more, now I feel more comfortable and the idea is to help grow,” the Catalan was honest about his good feelings in the last few games.
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