Marcelino he is clear about what one of the keys could be tomorrow in the first leg of the Cup semifinal against Levante, a match that will start at 9 pm in San Mamés. Logically, the Asturian wants to win by as much distance as possible, but first he has to offer the best. “I am signing right now that we achieve our maximum performance individually and collectively. This is what I want for this match. The result is a product of the game. As we have shown on other occasions, if we are able to reach our highest level we are a very difficult team for our rivals to beat. This is what I ask, to play a complete game and that this is demonstrated through success ”, said the coach.
In any case, there is a rival in front who for something has reached the semifinals and is having a great season in the League. Marcelino it has highlighted its virtues. “We play with the illusion of going to the final, with the motivation that this implies and the ambition to enter history by playing two finals in a row, which would be the third this year if we count the Super Cup. But they also play with the illusion of playing for the first time in their history a match for the Cup title ”, he said.
The coach has ruled out going out to speculate, thinking that there is still the return in the Ciutat de València. “We are going to come out with the mentality of winning, not speculating. In our mentality it is not going to draw. We want to be an organized, solvent team, not lose concentration for a minute against an opponent who attacks very fast and counterattacks phenomenally, but at the same time we have to be ambitious and go for the goal. If you assume a risk, we will assume it, but we cannot let the minutes slip away, we cannot leave everything for the last 45 minutes. It will depend on the ambition we have, we must master the smallest details, but we should not wait to see what happens. We have to propose when we have the ball and be an intense and organized team when we don't have it ”, he stated.
The rojiblanco team has suffered significant physical wear and tear, playing League and Cup matches every three or four days. Marcelino He believes that this circumstance will take a backseat to what is at stake in the semi-final. “It's the 11th game in 35 days, but how nice it is to be able to talk about this game. The rival is in the same conditions. We give a secondary role to the physical plane because we can go down in history. In our mind is only to develop the maximum effort so that the fans, the players and the coaching staff are proud ”, he commented.