After two months of absence due to injury, Santi Cazorla returned to the pitch in the match against Rayo Vallecano. The midfielder from Oviedo expressed satisfaction with his feelings and the team's performance in the first half of the game.
“I felt very good. It has been two very long months without competing, but I have worked hard to come back as best as possible. The feelings were better than expected, and I am happy to have been able to help the team,” said the footballer, who highlighted the superiority of the Carbayones in the early stages of the match: “The first half was very good. We were superior to Rayo, and that is the path to follow.”
Regarding the development of the match, Cazorla believes that the blue team deserved more: “Until the sending-off, we deserved the three points. After that, we had to suffer, as is normal with one less player, but the penalty saved by Aarón makes the point good as well considering how the match ended.” Even so, he insisted that “the first 60 minutes represent what we want to be as a team.”
Real Oviedo visits Atlético de Madrid this Saturday, a challenge that Cazorla faces with ambition and without fear: “We need the victory to come as soon as possible, and hopefully it will be at the Metropolitano. We go without fear, knowing that they are a great opponent, but convinced that if we play a good game, they will also have difficulties to beat us.”
The midfielder wanted to thank the unconditional support of the fans: “There was a lot of talk about noise, but there hasn’t been any. The people have always been with us. Hopefully, we can give them many joys.”
Cazorla also valued the effort during his recovery process: “I have worked a lot with Dani, the re-adapter, and with the entire medical team. They manage my workload very well. It’s hard for me to pace myself because I love training, and when I’m not with my teammates, I feel like I’m letting them down. Even with the pain I still have in my knee, I feel good.”
As for the locker room, the Asturian was clear: “The human group is very good. There are no stars here that could divide a locker room. To achieve the goal, we have to be a family and fight for our teammates. We veterans try to convey that to the newcomers.” He also pointed out the importance of the quick adaptation of the reinforcements arriving in January: “They have to integrate as soon as possible because time passes, and we need everyone to contribute.”
Cazorla concluded by sending a message of confidence: “We have little to lose and much to gain. If we are brave and united, we can compete against anyone.”