As was predictable, Marcelino He has been very dissatisfied with the first half played by his team and satisfied with the second. “We played a weak, weak first half, we have to play better in the semifinals than what we did in the first half. It is true that the rival generated very little, although it did dominate us. We have generated very little in attack. In the second half we were the Athletic we want, especially in the first 25 minutes. Approaching this level of play we can be in the final. We cannot spend a minute in Valencia ”, said the coach in San Mamés.
The game did not leave a good body for the Asturian. “We wanted to win, we wanted to go to Valencia with an advantage and without conceding and we conceded and we are going 1-1. It doesn't leave a good taste in our mouths, especially after watching the first forty-five minutes. Yes, the second period is to be praised, where we were superior, the rival did not generate anything for us and the goalkeeper and his defenses were very good. It has become clear to us, you have to play as the second half throughout the game to be in the final, “he added.
The coach has stated that they have to push themselves more and after seeing the bad first half, he leaves satisfied with the second: “It is always difficult to know why. What is clear is that we did not have the optimal activation to play this game, perhaps because of anxiety, but we were not comfortable in any facet of the game. We missed single passes. I think we did have organization, but it's a shame that the rival scores us with almost his only chance. And also with a throw-in from us. We were too slow, a midfielder cannot appear in the center of the field alone, he had time to control and finish. Most of the footballers were below their level in the first half, what changed in the second was the idea of the game, we found what we like. This is the way. You have to play like in the second half ”.
The coach has acknowledged that the chances of going to the final “have diminished” for not winning the first leg in Bilbao. “But we are in the fight and we are going to do 90 good minutes there and these merits will take us to the final. It is the attitude that the players are going to show. This is past, we cannot go around it, we think about looking for solutions in a positive tone. Although it is more difficult than before this game, it is no less impossible ”, he added.
Marcelino He does not regret having said when the draw that he preferred Levante over Barça or Sevilla. “It was what I felt, I always say what I feel. If you ask Paco He also preferred us to Sevilla and Barça. I don't regret it, when I say it, I'm sorry. I also said that we were going to suffer. In no case was this draw going to make it easier for us to play a final, because for this you have to suffer a lot. Today in the first half we have worked a lot but not well, in the second we have worked a lot and well. I trust that in Valencia we will play the whole game like the second half ”, has ended.