“We must be ambitious and go for the goal”

Gaizka Garitano appeared before the media this afternoon before the last training session before the first league match of 2020 that will face Athletic Club against Sevilla FC tomorrow at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (9 pm).

Despite recognising the complexity of playing against a team like Sevilla FC, the red-and-white coach is confident of winning the game away from home: “This is a team that is fighting at the top together with Barça and Real Madrid, and I think it will stay there for the rest of the competition. We have come from working very well throughout the week and have full confidence in the team. We have shown that we are very competitive and that nobody beats us easily. We are going to bring the three points back home.”

Garitano underlined the great potential of Sevilla FC in all the areas of the field: “They have everything. They are very physical players, very technical and very fast. They are the team that runs the most in LaLiga, and the backs play almost like wingers. They create a great risk on the wings, with many crosses, and they have great strikers to finish the plays.” The red-and-white coach bets on the balance in defence and attack to get a positive result in Sevilla: “We have to defend carefully, but we also have to be ambitious and create chances to score. Rarely they do not score goals, so we have to generate up front and take advantage of the ones we have.”

Regarding the physical condition of his players, Garitano has said that Muniain and Aduriz, despite training with the group, will not be in Sevilla tomorrow. Gaizka Larrazabal will not be there either, as he is absent due to illness. Oihan Sancet, who has five yellow cards, and Óscar de Marcos, who is injured, join the list of injured players.