QUIQUE SÁNCHEZ FLORES: "WE HAD 61% POSSESSION, BUT NOT IN THE RIGHT AREAS"

Quique Sánchez Flores didn't put too much stock in his team's performance in the defeat against Athletic Club: "It was a bad first half, very weak, against a good team who are in good form. We encouraged their pressure with mistakes at the start of the match, making silly errors at the back.... We made it fairly easy for them to come at us, we weren't in the opposition half and we only managed a decent five-minute spell in which we pushed forward and recovered quickly. It didn't last long and their key men played with a lot of freedom. Sancet, Williams... We experienced difficulties in the second half, although things improved when we switched from a 5-3-2 to a 4-4-2. We dominated and shot on goal, which had penalised us a lot. We walk away with 61% possession, but we need to put the ball in better positions. We need to keep it closer to goal."

On implementing of his style, he recognises that "things are very much in the air, honestly. In the second half, we were a bit better and allowed the opposition less. Those are things that we want, but we need continuity and with a team like Athletic it was very difficult for us". He also touched on Gudelj's injury situation: "He's had a bit of a strange week with that knee and he could be in better condition... At the end of the day, he's an important player who has been playing a lot so we don't want to take risks."

Focus now goes to our Copa del Rey tie on Sunday: "Each game is important. The cup is a shortcut to something wonderful for the Sevillistas, which is Europe. It's going to be a big day and they are going to put pressure on us there so hopefully we will make fewer mistakes".