The coach of the UD Las Palmas, Pepe Mel, has recognized that in this Wednesday's game in Lugo does not want to change much from what worked in the second half against him Sporting de Gijón, after a remarkable comeback (3-2), and that his team maintain that “push”.
The Madrid coach has repeated that his players have two game systems learned “by heart” and that “enriches” them as a team, and the formula used against the Asturian team after the break “worked” for them and helped them get three important points.
“The players have another glint in their eyes,” Mel has come to express in a telematic press conference, referring to the hours after that great triumph, and in the hours before this first trip to Lugo, the first of the week, with a visit to Ponferradina on the immediate horizon, next Saturday.
One of the great fears of the yellow coach is the possible relaxation of his players; It already happened after winning the derby against Tenerife (1-0), with a subsequent fiasco in Sabadell (3-1).
For this reason, he hopes that his men know how to play Lugo, a “very intense” rival that he anticipates will give them the ball, and he is committed to being “active” when the rival recovers the ball, because otherwise, they would be “liquidated” .
From the Galician team, it stands out that he does not travel much through the center of the field, but with long balls, second plays and set pieces.
“It is a well-armed team, it has never been a simple rival, and although we have the ball, we will always be at risk,” he said.
Another of his fears is the low temperature expected for the time of the game at the Anxo Carro, because it could be “a handicap”.
On the other hand, he believes that without an audience in the stands due to the Covid-19 pandemic “there should be no difference between home and away games”, despite the fact that Las Palmas lowers its benefits a lot every time it gets on a plane. .
“The closer we defend our goal, the more problems we have. We must be a compact team, be together and make it difficult for the rival”, are some of the arguments of Pepe Mel to try to add the three points of this Wednesday in Lugo, such as Las Palmas already did last season (0-2).