MERCADO: “THE TEAM PLAYED EXTREMELY WELL”

Gabi Mercado was among the starting eleven in the match against Spartak last night, however, was unable to play up until the final whistle due to injury. The Sevillista captain was extremely pleased with the team's victory against the Russian opponent: "We needed to win, we couldn't let this opportunity pass by. Getting the three points was fundamental, and we got them - I am delighted with the result. The opponent upped their game and it gave us a scare in the last ten minutes, but the game was a job well done". 

“Getting those three points was fundamental”

Mercado stressed the difficulty of every match because "in the Champions League all opponents are complex sides and it's essential to stay calm. With a narrow one-goal difference the other team can equalize at any moment, the team played well and we showed good character". 

With regards to qualifying for the knock-out stages, the captain added "When the day comes, we will look to play the matches as they deserve to be played. We cannot let this opportunity go to waste"

Lastly, questioned about his hamstring injury, he responded: “We are waiting to hear what the doctors have to say”.