“The first half was very good in a very difficult situation. Málaga is one of the best attacking teams, so conceding a penalty goal hurts. But we responded well. We know that against teams like this at this stage of the season, when you’re ahead, you’re walking a tightrope. When we were closest to making it 3-1, I think they equalized, and from that point the balance shifted between protecting the draw and pushing for the win. I decided to go for the win, and they beat us with blows. We have to accept that.”
Regarding the exchange of blows: “Beyond the fact that they put us under pressure—which they do against every team, especially when trailing—we were not as comfortable on the ball as in the first half. We had more turnovers. When we linked passes together, we were very good, but in the second half during the phases without the ball, we felt uncomfortable. Still, we found routes and spaces. We had chances until 3-1. After the equalizer, things became steeper. Because we weren’t comfortable on the ball, we decided to put two strikers and go for the win. That’s what we had to do. We had possession, they dropped deeper, but the scoreline was already wider.”
On digesting the result: “First of all, we need to analyze the match and see what we can improve in different phases. When we won other games, we also did that analysis. We have to keep going. There are four games left, three of them away, but Eibar has improved on the road. Right now we’re disappointed because we wanted to give this joy to the fans and push into the playoff spots. It didn’t happen, but we are still alive in this new objective that these players have given us. We need to analyze, recover, train at full intensity as we always do, and go for the next match.”
Positive aspect: “That point started right after the match ended. When the players couldn’t give the victory to the fans, they were downcast, but the fans gave us so much energy. Thanks to that, we entered the locker room with renewed energy, and that helps us face what’s ahead. In that sense, the club has been phenomenal too. We can’t win every game. We played against the best team to visit Ipurua, and many good sides have come here. We traded blows, and we have to admit they were better. Recognizing that is a step toward improvement. We need to keep things in perspective. Mathematically, we still have a chance to get in. Our situation remains positive.”
Tags: SD Eibar, Segunda División, LaLiga Hypermotion, Málaga CF, Beñat San José
