“Despite the injuries, the team keep growing”

Athletic Club’s manager Ángel Villacampa, has talked to the media ahead of the fixture corresponding to the nineteenth matchweek in the Primera Iberdrola. An unprecedented league contest, that will pose difficulties not only because Abegondo is a totally unknown field for the Lionesses, but also because the Galician players have not been beaten at home this season yet. The clash will test the strength of both sides: Athletic, sitting fifth in the table with 27 points, and Deportivo, in fourth position with 30.

The red-and-white coach is glad about how the training week has gone. “We needed a win, we found the result against Valencia CF unsatisfactory after all we had shown on the pitch. We want to keep demonstrating things. We know Deportivo haven’t been defeated at home, we’ll go there with the hope of putting an end to their spell and eager to keep adding points. Despite the injuries, the team keep growing,” he said.

As for their opponents, Villacampa reminded us that the Galician side “are a direct opponent. We mustn’t let them run, because they can benefit more from transitional play than from elaborate game. They know how to take advantage of the loss of the ball of their opponents and they are good at set pieces.”

For their contest against the side managed by Manu Sánchez, the team have the same six injured players as last week: Unzué, Nekane, Leia, Marta, Yulema and Jone Ibáñez. So the same match-day squad will be named, including Amaiur Sarriegi and Irene Oguiza one more time to complete the team.

The travelling squad for A Coruña is made up by the following 18 players: Ainhoa Tirapu, Andrea Sierra, Ainhoa Moraza, Garazi Murua, Ainhoa Álvarez, Damaris Egurrola, María Díaz, Maite Oroz, Oihane Hernández, Eunate Arraiza, Ane Azkona, Lucía García, Erika Vázquez, Vanesa Gimbert, Andrea de la Nava, Oihane Valdezate, Amaiur Sarriegi and Irene Oguiza.