Villarreal coach talks Arbeloa, Vinicius Jr. and more ahead of Real Madrid clash | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be looking to put pressure on Barcelona at the top of the table as they take on Villarreal on Saturday.

Coming back from a 6-1 win over AS Monaco, confidence will be high within the Real Madrid camp. But they will be taking on a Villarreal side, which has proven to be a shrewd operator under Marcelino.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, the Villarreal coach offered a perspective on his own team’s form, as well as Real Madrid’s recent managerial change, among other things.

What Marcelino said ahead of Real Madrid clash

First and foremost, Marcelino talked about Real Madrid as an opposition and how Los Blancos remain strong regardless of the change in coaches.

“We know that they have enormous individual potential. They have had ups and downs in the season that have led to a change on the bench. Whenever there is a change of coach, there is an activation of the players,” he said.

“But the truth is that Madrid, regardless of all the circumstances, has a lot of potential. High-level players. And when they have that day and are focused, intense and collective, they can beat anyone. We are going to compete and we are in our field,” he added.

Marcelino went on to talk about Real Madrid’s new coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, who has already highlighted the importance of this game in the pre-match presser.

Marcelino is ready for the Real Madrid challenge. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Villarreal coach was particularly asked about recent criticisms from fans on players like Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

“I’m not very attentive to all that, because it’s none of my business. It’s an issue for Real Madrid. Vinicius and Bellingham are extraordinary players and at their highest level, they are dangerous. We have to try to keep them from being there,” he said.

He went on to suggest how Arbeloa has added energy to the dressing room but refused to analyse things further.

“They come from a dismissal, from a new coach who came in with enthusiasm and who renews the energies of the players, but we cannot make an analysis now. We have to focus on ourselves.

“Real Madrid, regardless of the coach, always has things of a high level. We have to attack judiciously. And we know that in attack, they are a dangerous team with spaces and absolutely decisive with some of their players,” he said.

Talking about the high stakes heading into this game, Marcelino talked about the importance of sealing three points on Saturday.

“I don’t think it’s more important than another moment, it’s important to win because it brings you closer to the highest level. We know the difficulty, but we have to compete. We have arguments. We have to look for our best level.

“You have to play an almost perfect game and they have a bad game, and be effective in front of the goal. Last year, we saw efficiency in the areas was decisive. We have to have more continuity in the phases of the game,” he said.

Finally, the Villarreal coach confirmed the team is not dealing with any new injuries and only have two suspended players in Mourino and Comesana.

“In principle, there is no news. We don’t have any injured players compared to the previous game. Two players suspended, as you know and the rest available,” he concluded.

Source: Diario AS