“We were decided to win and that cost us the game”

“We’ve done a Good job. Bearing in mind the scenery, how worn out we are after such a week, and the injuries we have, the team has responded well. We managed to equalize and when we were at our best, looking for the winning goal, Real scored their second one. Quite a pity because the team really put a lot of work into it.” Gaizka Garitano showed his satisfaction at the job done by his team against the white-and-blue side, although he admits that the squad is “upset” about their defeat: “We haven’t won a league match in a while and that’s something we’re not happy about.”   

The red-and-white manager insisted that his team fought for the victory until the end: “It’s difficult to keep Real at bay. They have fast quality players up front, if you give them space, they kill the game. In the first half, we were more compact and in the second we went up. After Williams’ goal we looked for the second one, and that cost us the game.”

When asked for Athletic’s upcoming fixtures, Garitano declared: “Next week we’re facing two very difficult clashes, really important ones. I’m not only talking about Wednesday’s fixture, but also about the match with Osasuna on Sunday, which has real importance for us. We haven’t won any league matches for a long time. The Copa is bringing us joy but that makes us miss players for our league matches, letting the points slip.”