Villarreal manager outlines plan to beat Real Madrid – ‘When we have the ball…’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s first La Liga game after the defeat to Atletico Madrid in the derby sees them lock horns with Villarreal, one of Spain’s most in-form teams this season.

Seven games into the campaign, the Yellow Submarines sit on 16 points with five wins and one draw to their name and will be looking to overtake Real Madrid with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Los Blancos, for their part, found their footing back with a comprehensive win over Kairat Almaty midweek but Villarreal will pose a completely different challenge and they must be prepared for a rough night.

Marcelino’s thoughts

Speaking to the media before his team’s clash against Real Madrid tomorrow, Villarreal manager Marcelino commented on a plethora of topics including his team’s chances and what he expected from Los Blancos on the night.

He began in complete confidence, insisting that his team could inflict serious damage on Real Madrid if they got off to a good start on Saturday.

“If they [Real Madrid] don’t start well and we start very well, and we are able to make them uncomfortable, insecurity can arise.”

“But since they have so many resources, they know that at any time during the game they can turn the situation around and we must avoid it,” he added.

“We must go with that belief that we can create problems for them and when we have the ball we must try to hurt them,” he concluded on the topic.

He then praised Real Madrid for their quality and admitted that taking three points would be a complicated affair.

“[We go] with the illusion of winning, but we face a great rival and candidate to win all the titles and all the matches he plays,” he said.

Commenting on Real Madrid’s defeat to Atletico Madrid last weekend, Marcelino said,

“I’m sure that being the city’s eternal rival and the result of that match hurt them. They are very experienced and talented players who are very difficult to stop when they are at their best.”

He also elaborated on how Real Madrid would be all the more motivated after the derby defeat and how his team had to be cautious.

“They come from a painful defeat which makes them more dangerous playing on their field, so we expect a super difficult match but at the same time we are excited.”

“The team competes well against great teams and I think it will not be an exception,” he added on his side.

The Villarreal manager then went on to urge his players to play a perfect game to beat Real Madrid.

“[To beat them] you must make an almost perfect match in both areas.”

Marcelino’s Villarreal will be a tough test for Real Madrid. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

“We have to force them to defend near their area because spending the entire game defending, in the end, you end up dying on the shore,” he added.

“We have to propose when we have the ball and defend in solidarity when we don’t have the ball,” he noted on his tactics.

The manager was then asked to comment on Xabi Alonso and the ideologies he brought to Real Madrid.

“It’s going to be very different, the style has changed a lot, they alternated high pressure with retreat and now they practically go to the man in the opposite field, which makes you very uncomfortable, and that assumes certain risks.”

“They are in the process of adapting to a new idea, which is paying off because even Atlético had won everything,” he added.

Praising Kylian Mbappe for his golden form in front of goal and the danger he will pose to his team tomorrow night, the manager said,

“We know that he is absolutely decisive, because of what he does now and because his career says so. Now he is very good, he looks agile, fast, and precise. We have to defend with a lot of help, try not to participate, and then defend the back.”

“On the counter kills you, but then there is Vinicius, Bellingham, Guler, they are all of great quality in the last third. We have to defend very well and if we go man to man we have everything to lose,” he added.

When asked what it would mean to defeat Real Madrid, the manager simply said,

“We don’t give it much importance, the important thing is that after these seven days, the team maintains a very good dynamic and has been able to add 16 points out of 21.”

He then recalled the last time he beat Real Madrid as a manager.

“19 years ago. It was a very emotional day. It was with the Recre, there was an accident in which several people died and it was the day before the Christmas holidays.”

Finally, he concluded his press conference by speaking on how beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu was complicated, but not impossible.

“Most coaches and teams are bad at it, Villarreal is no exception, but you can win a single game.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo