Ernesto Valverde admitted in the San Mamés press room that the draw against Granada complicates the Champions League options. “We’re disappointed because we didn’t win, the game was difficult for us, but we continued on our line trying to create chances. We are tied, we have time to come back but they did a good defensive exercise. We have dominated but we haven’t scored the chances yet. They closed down and it was hard to convert chances. We lack a little clarity,” he stated.
Txingurri doesn’t believe his team lacks energy. “It was a tough match for both teams. We lacked a little clarity to make good decisions on plays. For the amount of strategies we have, we can build a clearer opportunity. With all the dominance, I would have liked to have a clearer chance,” he added.
The player from Gasteiz also admitted that at some stages of the match they may have been in a hurry: “It is possible, but we are the type of team. What is a virtue can be a flaw. Thanks to the push we achieved things later by subduing rivals. Which is sometimes punishable, sometimes not well. Now, we lack that skill.”
Valverde added that he “can’t say anything about the refereeing” and said that Iglesias Villanueva’s card was for protesting. The coach confirmed that he was fired Walls at half-time because he has a yellow card and is having physical problems due to the punch and so on Yuriwho retired with an ankle injury, said he hoped it wouldn’t: “His foot fell asleep and I preferred not to risk it.”
The options for reaching fourth place in the league are getting more complicated. “Obviously we didn’t win three games (defeats against Real Madrid and draws against Villarreal and Granada). If you don’t take your chances when there is little time left, the margin decreases. Our goal is to win now. We failed, we tried to dominate. Let’s see what happens with Atlético in Vitoria. There are a few chances left, it’s a setback not to win now.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
