Matarazzo Reflects on Defeat Against Real Madrid: Learning from Mistakes

omidbasir- Pellegrino Matarazzo chose not to attribute the defeat of his Real Sociedad team at the Santiago Bernabéu to fatigue. Instead, he engaged in self-criticism, acknowledging that his squad made several errors in their game plan, particularly in defensive actions that resulted in penalties awarded to Vinicius.

In discussing the match, Matarazzo remarked, “It was a challenging game; we needed total activity in every aspect, and if we lack that at times, we will pay the price against a team like Real Madrid. We made positioning errors, especially evident in the two penalties awarded to Vinicius, which occurred during two-on-one situations. In the second half, we created some chances, but we were unable to score more goals. We have a lot to learn from what happened today.”

When asked if his players might have been affected by fatigue from previous matches, he responded decisively, “The first goal came early, so there is no excuse of fatigue. As the match progressed, we did struggle more, but I prefer not to talk about tiredness.”

Matarazzo identified two specific mistakes made by his team in Madrid: “We positioned too many players in the final line, which made it harder for us. We failed to connect well with the two forwards, and defensively, we weren’t sufficiently aggressive and intense in some situations.”

Regarding the two penalties awarded to Aramburu for fouls on Vinicius, he stated, “There was contact in both situations, although it’s true that he seeks that contact to earn penalties. Our strategy was to contain Vinicius’s approach from that flank, but we did not succeed in those instances.”

Yangel and Wesley were notable inclusions in the starting lineup, and Matarazzo provided insights into their performances. “Yangel performed well; he was very active, particularly during the penalty incident, and remained composed on the ball while trying to build play. The substitution at that minute was planned, as he had not played much recently. As for Wesley, he started well, but we need to continue working with him in training for further improvement.”

Matarazzo expressed a desire for the event at the Bernabéu not to overshadow his team’s positive trajectory to date. “We have shown that we can win using various styles. Offensively, we prefer to be vertical, finding players behind the defense and pushing many into the area, which was challenging today. Defensively, I aim for my team to be pragmatic and avoid complications.”