First team

PABLO MACHÍN: 'THE TEAM TOOK THE TIE SERIOUSLY'

16/01/2019

Sevilla's manager commented 'it annoys me that after a pretty good game we come away with a defeat'

Pablo Machín appeared before the media after the defeat against Athletic, with Sevilla qualifying for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Sevilla's manager, rather than focusing solely on Wednesday's match, focused on the tie as a whole: 'Throughout the tie, there were many phases where we did a good job. We leave today with a sour taste, but we're just winners. This will help us grow, we have to correct some things. It annoys me that after a pretty good game we come away with a defeat.'

Speaking about the match in Nervión, the Sorian stated 'there was a good intensity. The team who had to come and win was Athletic. They tried to put pressure on us, it wasn't an easy game, but the team took the tie seriously. Even when we were losing we knew the tie was in favour and I'm happy with the team's spirit.' In this way, Machín insisted 'in no way can you hold anything against the team. They believed, they were attacking and I'm happy in that respect.'

'There's no better place to end this run than in the Bernabéu'

Machín was also asked about Munir, who played his first full 90 minutes in Nervión: 'It was his first full game. You could see he was tired, but this is an investment for the future.' Likewise, Pablo Machín had some words regarding Bryan Gil: 'He has this self-confidence you expect from a young academy player. These minutes will be unforgettable for him and I'm sure he'll have many more.'

Machín finished by speaking about Saturday's game in the Bernabéu: 'We have a really tough game ahead of us. There's no better place to end this slightly negative run we're having than in the Bernabéu.'