Espanyol drew 1-1 against Girona in a match they were close to winning. These are the statements from Manolo González after the match:
About the draw: “It was difficult for us to get into the game until we made a couple of adjustments. In the second half, we fought until the end. It’s a shame we didn’t score the 2-0. There was a stretch where we were very good, but we couldn’t score the second. It’s also true that they had chances, and we must recognize their merit. The team’s work today was important.”
About the substitutions: “What happened at the end is that we made the changes late. They came after the penalty, and the idea was to make them earlier. We had chances for the second goal, but they have quality, and their changes gave them a boost in speed and rhythm. That’s what a Champions League squad has, changes that give you quality.”
About Urko: “The change had to be made earlier because he hasn’t played much, but he had a very correct game.”
About Joan García: “I had no doubts about him. We have a goalkeeper with great guarantees. I just hope that when he makes a mistake, he won’t be crucified. He has a very important future ahead of him, and hopefully, everything goes well for him.”
About the team’s dynamic: “My only complaint is that if we dared to play with the ball more, we would have it. When we tried, we had opportunities. In the second half, we found them. The play for the goal was thanks to composure. I want to highlight Javi Puado’s great game.”
About Jofre Carreras: “Jofre is in line with the team. He had a very good game, and the change is due to fatigue and because at that point in the game, we had to control his side defensively.”
About improvements: “The keys to improve are to have more composure and possession. We are insisting on this issue. Many of the players in the squad are starting to play in the first division this year, and we are paying that price this year. Also, we have had a very bad time this year, and that, although it has made us stronger, takes away that point of confidence that we lack.”