Schelotto happy with Vélez draw, expects tight race with Racing | OneFootball

Vélez's coach, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, spoke this Friday after the 0-0 draw with Huracán in Parque Patricios, where the alternate team responded well to the complications of the match despite the extra concern of Tomás Marchiori's injury and the latent one of Braian Romero, both facing the clash with Racing that starts on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.

The Twin valued the team's versatility to minimize the effects of Agustín Lagos' early red card: "It was difficult and more so with one less player, but we were able to keep the ball on the ground, reach the goal apparently offside... I appreciate the constant intention not to waste time, not to hit, not to argue with the referee, to continue with one less player with the same intention. We were never disorganized defensively".

Focusing more on the development, the coach was very complimentary of Matías Pellegrini, who took the lead after the red card: "Spectacular game, extraordinary, the attitude he had, how he infected. We told him 'stay at 4' because then the issue of the windows starts, he solved it with incredible autonomy. I loved the game, he infected everyone and the team let itself be infected by him".

He also referred to the changes he made during the match: "Some changes had more to do with today's match than Tuesday's. (Agustín) Bouzat had a yellow card, (Michael) Santos had been very inactive in the preseason and we didn't want to risk him because Romero has a discomfort and we want to have an experienced 9 next Tuesday. What happened with (Manuel) Lanzini and (Francisco) Pizzini was more due to fatigue. We are fine".

In the injured category, everything was uncertain. "Romero has a discomfort, I don't know what condition he will be in the next few days, we will see tomorrow or the day after how he is", he first said, and then expanded: "I think it will be difficult, whether he arrives or not is more a question for the doctor, he has a discomfort from the last match he played", referring to the Argentina Supercup.

"Marchiori had that discomfort in his knee, I don't know how he will feel tomorrow or Sunday, a doctor will know what to do once he checks him tomorrow", he anticipated about the goalkeeper, while he was satisfied with Álvaro Montero's debut: "He entered in a tough and difficult match, but with his experience and conditions he had a very good match and when Huracán shot from outside the area he responded very well".

Also, the coach downplayed the 49-year streak of Vélez that he broke by not lining up in the eleven any footballer from its lower divisions: "One contemplates the team, the squad he has, and assembles the best that he considers will try to win. We understand the circumstances of the team where we are, with the youth contribution, seven days ago we won a cup with two goals from a player from the lower divisions, so it is circumstantial".

Finally, he anticipated the crucial duels with La Academia: "I think it will be a closed home match, fought, battled, no doubt the series will end in Avellaneda. Very difficult for a quarterfinal match of Libertadores to be defined in advance. Being from the same country allows us all to know each other, from the first to the 25th player of each squad, to the coach. I see it very even, Racing had a very good last year winning a Sudamericana, we went from less to more. It will be attractive for the neutral and, for those involved, of great parity in terms of the game, the dominance and the possibilities that each one will have".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.