EN-NESYRI: "THEY WERE TWO VERY IMPORTANT GOALS FOR THE TEAM"

Lucas Ocampos, Youssef En-Nesyri and Jesús Navas spoke after our victory against Rayo Vallecano. When asked about the importance of the win at Vallecas, Ocampos revealed his delight at a crucial result: "We have finally got another three extremely valuable points on the board and I think everyone at the club needed that. It was a hard-fought victory at a ground we have never won at since I arrived here. It's a timely result and one which gives a bit of breathing room." The Argentine went on to emphasise that an improved collective ability to withstand pressure and adapt during the match was fundamental: "Sometimes we made life more difficult for ourselves than necessary. I had a chance to seal it with a third goal late on, but ultimately everyone stepped up when required. En-Nesyri and Isaac are in spectacular form and I think tonight everyone will sleep well!" To round off, he praised our supporters, many of whom made the trip to Vallecas and were in fine voice throughout: "At last we can bring them some joy. We've all been through a difficult spell recently and hopefully this win will give us something to build on, much like last year's result against Cádiz which proved to be a turning-point. I'm sure we will see the Sevilla we are looking for."

En-Nesyri, scorer of the match-winning brace on the night, followed by telling of his satisfaction at the victory: "They were two very important goals for the team so I'm pleased. You always have to be ready to give everything on the pitch. I'd only watched Isaac play on television before this evening but it's clear he's a top striker - he'll go far." He also spoke about the frustration of not being able to contribute while away with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations: "It was difficult to watch the team struggling but now it's time for us to start stringing results together and we're already thinking about Sunday at home [against Atlético de Madrid]. 

Last to give his take on the match was captain Jesús Navas who was quick to stress that the victory was deserved: "We were good value for the win after a difficult period of results. This was as needed for the fans as it was for us. Now it's time to turn our attention to Sunday. We're looking to win the game and we'll go into it with more confidence now." Navas also singled out the young players in the team for praise, lauding the way they have boosted the team: "Their attitude has been phenomenal, concentration has been high and they gave absolutely everything tonight for a win that means so much to all of us. It's remarkable how the academy players have stepped up and performed. The coach has given them their opportunity and they've grabbed it with both hands. They've brought energy and physicality to the side."