Villarreal head coach Marcelino García Toral discussed the team's preparations for the match against Alavés in an interview. He stated that the stadium is always extremely challenging for Villarreal, and the team has historically struggled to secure a victory there.  

Marcelino said: "This is a very challenging opponent, and the club has never had an easy game here. They are a very resilient team, and the atmosphere at the stadium is very intense, with fierce battles for second balls. I think all these factors combined make this a very difficult venue for any team."  

“We anticipate this will be a very tough match because they are under immense pressure. The appointment of the new head coach makes our pre-match analysis even more challenging. Under Quique Sánchez-Flores, they have adjusted their formation, adopting a five-man defense. We believe they will become more direct and efficient. Quique Sánchez-Flores is a coach who excels at organizing a team and can lead them to success under difficult circumstances.”  

Despite the challenges, Marcelino García Toral emphasized that the team is in good form and ready to face the match. He stated, "We have had five days of rest, which is enough time. We won the last match and showed excellent football, but there are still some shortcomings. We must regain the consistency we lacked against Elche and in previous matches."  

When discussing the team's goals, Marcelino emphasized that the team will focus on its own development. He added, "We won't focus on our opponents, we just want to focus on ourselves, consolidate our strengths and improve our weaknesses. With only 11 games left in the season, time is very tight."  

“In the Champions League, we have accumulated 54 points, which is an impressive achievement, far surpassing many teams such as Real Betis, Celta Vigo, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, and Valencia. This reflects our excellent performance this season and also shows the fierce competition with Atletico Madrid. This motivates us to focus on ourselves and approach every game with the greatest ambition and fighting spirit.”  

Image source: Internet/Villarreal official website