“The strength of the group is the most important”
“The strength of the group is the most important”
On the eve of their visit to Benito Villamarín, Garitano relies on his squad to cover for the injuries and the suspended players
Athletic Club’s manager, Gaizka Garitano, has appeared before the media ahead of their trip to Seville, where they will play the match corresponding to the 16th matchweek of LaLiga Santander (Benito Villamarín, Sunday at 2pm) against a Real Betis who are “in the best moment of the season: they have won the last two games, the performance of their individual players can tip the balance of the game in their favour at any opportunity, with top footballers such as Joaquín, Canales or Fekir.”
In regard to the aims for the season, the red-and-white boss wanted to make clear that “rather than setting long-term objectives, we must think about winning tomorrow, about getting 29 points instead of 26.” He has also remarked the numbers Athletic would register in a virtual league which would include the last 39 league fixtures, in which only three teams (FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and Atlético de Madrid) would have more points than them: “That means you would practically be the best team in LaLiga.”
After prevailing over CA Osasuna in the last league outing, putting an end to their good spell as hosts at El Sadar, and bearing in mind the difficulty of playing at el Benito Villamarín, “one of the most difficult stadiums”, Garitano has emphasized that “we broke down the barrier and won on the road for the first time, but that can’t be translated into an opportunity to relax, we are looking forward to another win.”
When asked about the injuries, Garitano pointed out that “now, it’s the time to give a chance to other players, the strength of the group is the most important, we rely on each and every one of them; we will try out for a more competitive team. When there are injuries, the strength of the entire squad is superior than our individual strengths.”