Matarazzo Aims for Continued Success Against Elche

Pellegrino Matarazzo is determined to extend Real Sociedad’s impressive winning streak by securing a victory against Elche. A win would significantly enhance the team’s position in the race for European qualification. However, the coach has acknowledged the challenges ahead, expressing admiration for the effective strategies employed by Eder Sarabia’s side.

Barrenetxea will miss the match against Elche, marking his third consecutive absence. At the beginning of his press conference, Matarazzo was questioned about the player’s physical condition. “I wish I could provide more detailed information, but he lacks some mobility at the muscular level. We will monitor his progress day by day and hope he can return to training by early next week, but that is not guaranteed. Regarding Zakharyan, he will start training on the field next week, and we will assess his availability for the match against Real Madrid, but not for the Copa match.”

Óskarsson and Wesley are available but not yet ready for starting positions. “No, not yet; a player needs to sustain a top performance for 60 minutes to be considered for the starting lineup. Otherwise, they will remain on the bench. Both are progressing toward that goal, but tomorrow is too soon. Regarding Dani Díaz, he has been performing well and offers a different profile for certain game situations. He played a crucial role in our recent victory and earned more minutes on the field, so we will see how that evolves.”

The coach expressed his disappointment over the tight turnaround following the Copa match at Mendizorroza, yet praised the Elche squad. “The boys are in good shape, but we only have two days of rest. Still, I feel we are prepared for this match. We will rotate a couple of players to maintain our energy and cover more ground. Elche is an offensive team that seeks to dominate possession and has intricate defensive movements, making high pressuring challenging. Additionally, their positional changes in attack complicate defensive efforts. However, we are currently in good form and have strategies in place for tomorrow’s match. We will focus on solid defending and improving our attacking play compared to our latest game.”

When asked about Elche’s declining position in the standings and how a win would confirm Real Sociedad’s pursuit of European spots, Matarazzo stated, “We approach each game one at a time, but we aim to capitalize on this moment and continue our wave of success. When the match starts, we don’t focus on the standings; it’s about performance on the field—how we handle duels and passes. We need to break through their man-to-man pressure, execute good movements, and trust in our current form.”

In response to concerns that fans might be more excited about the Copa match against Athletic than the LaLiga encounter with Elche, Matarazzo reassured, “The supporters will come to the stadium focused solely on cheering for the team in this match. The players are also concentrating on the game tomorrow.”