“It is necessary to run until in the doubts”, commented Leandro Cabrera, the Uruguayan central defender of Espanyol, the leader of the defense for Vicente Moreno. The blue and white team started the course full of optimism with two 0-0 at El Sadar and against Villarreal, but the hopeful future was slightly colored after the 1-0 in Mallorca. Three games later, the parakeet team is in the lower zone, without victories or goals. And on Sunday (14:00) Atlético de Madrid arrives.
The footballer recognizes that the team does not have “anxiety“For breaking their drought or for the first victory, and that the two weeks of break have been great for them. They arrive prepared for the appointment.”Playing against the champion is a motivation. They will be competitive whoever plays, but we have been working well for two weeks and we hope that victory comes this Sunday, “he stressed in the press room after training.
The analysis of the three previous meetings is summarized for Cabrera in solidarity. Both defensive and offensive. And also “in concentration”. “You have to run even in doubts, lend a hand. The plan is to work, be attentive and involved”, he reiterated. “If we are not at our one hundred percent mentally and predisposed at all times to be supportive, any team goes from being good to vulgar. We become very aware of that. “
Leandro Cabrera. PRE-SEASON
JAVIER GANDUL
Atletico past and reunion with Luis Suárez
In 2013, Cabrera played for Atlético de Madrid. It was the beginning of his career in Spain. He failed to consolidate and began a journey that has led him to Getafe and now Espanyol. Despite this and the reunion with Luis Suarez, his compatriot, Cabrera considers that “it does not motivate me more than another encounter. Play whoever plays will make it difficult.”
The blue and whites must be especially cautious in the red and white counterattacks. “We cannot concede, they take advantage of it. They do not make unforced errors,” he commented in a tennis simile. “It will be a very difficult game, they don't need to have the ball to create danger. Their counterattack is dangerous, the game will be tense. It will be played from the first to the last minute,” he said.
Cabrera is motivated by the public presence again. The change is substantial compared to the previous year (“From no one to 12,000 people the difference is abysmal. The fans are a point in our favor. They push. Hopefully we can be more and one day we can all be together”). An encounter with the public and without Sergi Gómez. The central pair of the first three days is broken although Cabrera does not give it importance: “There is chemistry between everyone. We will try to give the best version, with the other teammates we spent many days without conceding goals last year.”