Match Preview: Marcelino Discusses Upcoming Game Against Elche

Marcelino spoke to the media today to analyze the upcoming match against Elche.

**Team Updates:** “Thiago is a player who has recently recovered from a serious injury and a period of inactivity due to issues with his previous club. He is adapting and training with us, adjusting to Spanish football with a fantastic attitude. He has been with us for the last two days. We also extend our thanks to Manor and Alti for their respect towards our decisions and their commitment to the team. We wish them all the best in their new endeavors and thank them sincerely.”

**Injuries and Squad Availability:** “We have several players unavailable due to injuries. However, we welcome back Mou and Juan from the previous match. We are prepared and excited to start the new year with a victory. It will be challenging, but we have that enthusiasm. Four players from the youth team—Alassane, Carlos, Hugo, and José—will join us. We faced uncertainty during the week regarding some players’ availability, but we have the tools necessary to approach the match positively and aim for victory.”

**On Thiago Fernández:** “I am not very familiar with him yet. I haven’t seen much of him play so far. He is not registered yet, so I cannot comment on him at this moment. It is still early, and we will see how he progresses.”

**Regarding Eder Sarabia:** “I had a good relationship with him during my previous stint at the club. I appreciate his kind words towards us—not just to me, but to my entire coaching staff. He is a coach with great ideas that he successfully implements. His experience with significant teams under Setién and his current success with Andorra and Elche underscore his merits. His teams have a clear identity, focusing on ball possession and adapting their offensive strategies according to the players at hand. He has a promising present and future.”

**Upcoming Match Challenges:** “Elche is strong at home, having won five matches and drawn four, boasting impressive goal statistics with many scored and few conceded on their ground. We anticipate a difficult match. We must improve our defensive effectiveness compared to December and regain the solidity we displayed in previous months, being decisive and efficient in both penalty areas. We created opportunities but lacked the finishing touch. Football can be unpredictable; we had high hopes and were possibly fatigued. The break may have benefited us. We face a tough opponent against whom we have historically struggled. Our focus will be on playing well, respecting our rival, and improving upon our game control and efficiency.”

**On Scoring Challenges:** “Several factors could contribute to our lack of goals. Perhaps we were previously achieving high efficiency levels, which are hard to maintain. Additionally, our forwards may not have been in peak form. It is true that we did not decrease our chance creation. These are phases in football. For efficiency in both our and the opponent’s areas, it is crucial to limit the rival’s chances while maximizing our own. That’s key to reducing goals conceded and needing fewer chances to score.”

**Performance Against Non-European Teams:** “If we look at the stats, it is normal for us to win less against Atlético, Madrid, and Barcelona, given their superior level. However, we’ve had successes against Athletic and have drawn with Celta and Betis, and we could have won both. To summarize, we need to elevate our performance against European teams while maintaining our level against non-European teams. We have a good point tally and still have matches left in the first half of the season. If we can continue to collect points, we could reach or exceed 40 points, which would be remarkable. We aim to improve upon our current 35 points. It will be challenging. Elche has not lost at home, but we have achieved good results away. As we approach tomorrow’s match, we are filled with hope. Our goal is to secure three points and deliver our best game performance.”