Osasuna Secures Hard-Fought Away Victory Under Coach Alessio Lisci

Osasuna finally secured an away victory, a moment long awaited by both the team and their coach, Alessio Lisci. Reflecting on the match, Lisci expressed his eagerness for the win, stating, “Finally, it has arrived. We played well on a challenging pitch against a difficult opponent. It was tough for both teams to play here.”

Despite the victory, Lisci noted, “We might not have delivered our best performance away from home, but today, the win came to us. I am very pleased with how the players performed and especially with the contributions from the bench, which significantly altered the course of the match.”

Regarding set pieces, which led to the first goal, he remarked, “Since we have brought back Rubén García, we have been scoring many goals this way. He has that striking ability. Although we may lose height, we continue to score, although it does come at a defensive cost, as evidenced by the goal we conceded from a corner’s second play.”

Describing the match’s progression, Lisci stated, “Even though we did not deserve to be down 0-2, we could have scored more before halftime. In the second half, Álvaro was not tracking back, and they brought on two forwards who broke the match open. When we lost possession, Rosier was stretched, leading to the corner from which they scored. As the match drew to a close, I opted to bring in Víctor Muñoz and Raúl García to add depth, as well as Abel Bretones to target the far post and enhance our attacking presence. It worked well today, and I would make the same decisions again.”

Lisci praised Javi Galán for his exceptional performance, asserting, “We expected a high level of performance from him, and he is maintaining that standard,” while also recognizing the entire team’s efforts. He specifically commended Víctor Muñoz, stating, “He is improving every day. He contributes significantly on both offensive and defensive fronts and is experiencing important growth. He delivered an outstanding performance both on the wing and as a second striker.”

Regarding the team’s league position, Lisci emphasized, “We need to maintain the same mindset, or even more so. Safety is still close, but the league is long, and many months of competition lie ahead where we cannot afford to relax. Next week, we might find ourselves just three points away from relegation again. It makes no sense to look up the table. We must focus on delivering a solid performance against Villarreal. If we become complacent, we could face a harsh setback, which would be very challenging. What is essential is to remain calm, collected, and dedicated, as our priority is to ensure our survival. Once we achieve that, we can see if we can strive for more. For now, it’s about working hard, working hard, and working hard. There’s nothing else to it.”