The coach of Real Oviedo, Guillermo Almada, appeared in the press room after the blue team's 1-0 victory over Girona FC. "As I told the players, the match was a pre-final. We needed to win whether we played well, average, or poorly. The players' attitude was spectacular. Girona has a lot of quality, and that makes our victory even more significant, along with the unconditional support of our fans. I got goosebumps from the support of the crowd. I am convinced that this will give us a lot of confidence," commented the blue coach first.
"In the first half, we should have played better and managed the ball better. We made it easier for them to recover. We were very uncoordinated, and with their quality, it is always dangerous. We did better in the second half, and ultimately, it meant securing a valuable victory with the adjustments we made. We had less game volume than in other matches, but we were solid at the back. We need to recover the volume up front. The pressure of not winning was affecting us," analyzed the Uruguayan.
Asked about the performances of Cazorla and Thiago and their great contribution to the match, Almada detailed that "Santi is a star. He was the first to position himself and work. He provided us with solutions when we didn't have them. His positioning was very good and gave confidence to the rest. He is very intelligent. Thiago gave us solutions on the wing, not only in the game but also in recovery. Both were very important. He will surely get more minutes. I never doubted him. We counted on him, and his attitude is spectacular whether he plays or not. Surely, I may have made mistakes in the decisions I made earlier."
"In previous matches, we were winning. The result conditions you to make certain decisions. We made mistakes that cost us points," he commented next.
Finally, when asked about David Costas, Guillermo Almada praised the center-back and noted that "I knew him, but I am surprised by the level he has despite having constant discomfort. When a player loses continuity in training, over time, it starts to affect their performance in matches. He is a great professional and contributes a lot."