Marcelino Garcia Toral upset by ‘disastrous’ Champions League campaign – ‘It’s inexplicable’ | OneFootball

Villarreal succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Copenhagen on Wednesday evening, with Andreas Cornelius’ 90th minute winner all but ending their hopes of making the knockout stages of the Champions League. Manager Marcelino Garcia Toral cut a heartbroken figure after the match questioning their inability to concentrate defensively.

The defeat resulted in the Yellow Subamrine’s exit from the competition, with just a single point from their six games thus far.

“Disastrous,” Marcelino summed up their showing in the competition. “One point from six games.”

“We’re a much better team than Pafos, but we didn’t show it. Pafos beat us with one shot. In La Liga we are a different side. For whatever reasons, confidence, I don’t know, we don’t have that luck, those moments you need. I recall the game against Spurs, in the third minute we concede, and then the chances we had to equalise, one play was a challenge for the ball, small details. There’s moments in every game, we don’t know how to compete.”

“I’m very disappointed; we were hoping the sixth time would be the charm. It’s understandable that we’re disappointed. It was a very tough match. It really gets to you, but we’ll improve.”

Marcelino: ‘There’s no easy explanation’

The Yellow Submarine conceded after three minutes in the opening period, and just two minutes after their equaliser in the second half. Sucker-punches that Marcelino was unable to get over in his post-match press conference.

“In our stadium, they scores a goal in 2 minutes, between two of our players. Why? This is the fourth time it has happened that we concede very soon after scoring. If you want to win in the Champions, it’s impossible like that. [Copenhagen] shot three times, alone in the area. Conceding twice after restarts. I don’t know what’s happening, I can’t explain it.”

image via Football España

It was a common them for Marcelino, who harked back to previous defeats that he felt were similar in nature.

“Very little decisiveness in the areas. Dortmund shot two times, two goals. Then two rebounds, two goals. Situations as simple as they were today. I don’t know what’s happening, but we’re not showing the same solidity as in La Liga, in the Champions we’re conceding many goals. In La Liga, we are the side that concede the least. I don’t know what’s happening.”

‘We controlled the game from start to finish’ – Marcelino

Asked by Football España whether the lack of Dani Parejo, who’s minutes are significantly down, or Raul Albiol, who left the club in the summer, might have benefitted Villarreal, Marcelino pushed back.

“We controlled the game from start to finish, so I don’t think it would have made any difference in that regard. It’s true that we’re a young team, if you look across our side there aren’t many Champions League appearances.”

“However the same thing is true of Copenhagen, so it shouldn’t make too much of a difference.”

Villarreal return to action on Sunday against Levante in a local derby, looking to get back to their Liga form, where they have won six games on the bounce.