First team

MACHÍN: 'IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD'

02/12/2018

The manager highlighted the physical state of his team to go on to pick up a point in a stadium 'where no one has won'

Pablo Machín was satisfied with his team's reaction to take a point home from the Mendizorroza: 'It was a hard-fought point and it deserves even more merit due to the team's great physical work against a rival who hadn't played since Friday and could prepare for it since then. We had our trip to Belgium, the game, this trip here... we had very little time to recover.'

In terms of the course of the game, he recognised that Jony's goal hurt the team: 'There were a lot of players who also played on Thursday and we held out well in the first half. That goal was a shame, but we had the better chances. We then tried to freshen up the team from the bench, with Sarabia who we didn't want to risk because he had some discomfort in his abductor and he was also on a yellow card. But we had to make a change, and we also brought on Promes. Amadou also did well, and it's a deserved point and an important one to keep moving forward.'

In the last minutes, the score could have become 1-2 but the team refused to leave empty-handed: 'Alavés have won a lot of points in the last few minutes of games and they pushed to do it again. We were better throughout the second half and apart from the last shot that hit the post, we were more dangerous in front of goal. We played more in the opposition's half and were dominant. We were also good at the back because Alavés are dangerous on the counter and it's disappointing to not be able to get another goal, which would have been the cherry on top. We have to value this well-earnt point because no one's been able to win here so far. We competed well and were physically strong, which is not easy.'