First team

MACHÍN: 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO THE CAMP NOU FOR A STROLL, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR THE WIN'

19/10/2018

Sevilla FC's manager trusts in his players' motivation for the match against Valverde's team, to whom 'we'll give the advantage if we aren't at one-hundred per cent'

Pablo Machín, Sevilla FC’s manager, gave an extended press conference by to analyse this Saturday’s match against second-placed FC Barcelona at the Nou Camp. A match that he described as ‘beautiful because of how the two teams have been playing in the league. The league leaders will be decided there and I hope that they will be the same as now.’ ‘The motivation for a professional has to be at its highest for every match, because all teams are very evenly matched, if we’re not one hundred per cent motivated, we’re giving the advantage to the opponents. We’re going up against the best team and best player in the world and if we have any chinks in our armour they know how to take advantage of them. The coach in these types of matches has a very easy job to motivate the players.’

‘We’re going for the win, I want to compete and play the best game we can’

Asked about the system he will use against Valverde's team, Machín made his intentions to compete very clear: ‘With five forwards we’ll be able to créate more chances and I hope we can convert them. Many teams go to that great stadium wearing their hearts on their sleeves and usually lose, others go there to defend and no create any chances and lose…We’ll try to have a good day and carry out the game plan as best as we can and we’re also aware that we need Barça not to have their best day and their players not to be clinical. If that´s the case we´ll have a better chance to win. They usually win at home but, we’re not going there just to spend the evening there. We’re going with the belief that we have a good chance of getting something positive. We’re going for the win because if we don’t think like that we’ll end up going out with our heads bowed. I want us to compete and play the best game we can.’

'We're coming here as the league leaders and it's because we deserve it. But this doesn't give us any advantage for the match. They will also have the motivation to oust us. But we're in a good moment. After the international break, there are always doubts about the performance levels that the team can deliver, but we have options, it's a question of choosing the right,' he added.

He continued in the same line: 'We're going to fight. Every game can be won. In every game, many things happen that decide whether you have an advantage or not. We're going to compete and we'll have a chance to win, we're convinced of that. It's possible to win there.'

'We've evaluated many options to stop Messi, but geniuses always do unexpected things that only they can come up with'

Another topic the manager was asked about was stopping Messi: 'There are many options to stop him, but the best footballers always find a way to make your plans fall apart. Throughout his career people have tried a million things and he's always come out on top. Although we should not just focus on one player, his teammates aren't bad either. We will evaluate what we have to do. We will consider many options because geniuses always do unexpected things that only they can come up with.'

Even so, Machín is not settling for a draw: 'I never settle for anything before the match. We will evaluate things in accordance with how the match goes. But getting any points on the board is positive, especially at Barça's pitch.'

To finish, he spoke about the draw in the Copa del Rey putting us against Villanovense: 'We go into another favourite tournament. Villanovense will make things difficult for us. When the game is closer we'll analyse it better. They're not going through their best moment in the league, but there's still time to go before the game.'