Speaking about the match, the coach said it had unfolded as they had studied it. That much must be acknowledged. The first half was “very physical.” “I have to highlight the players who came on. Espiau played a great match, as did Ureña and the rest of those who came off the bench. I also want to highlight Sem’s composure in goal, which gave us a lot,” the Real Zaragoza coach explained.
The team “continues to grow and continues to create alternatives for different situations, with the clear objective of dominating.” In fact, he believes Real Zaragoza deserved to win “even by a wider margin.”
Ureña, scorer of both goals against Ibiza. Photo: Real Zaragoza
One such alternative was the use of two full-backs on the left. In this match, Ibai Gómez chose Escudero and, positioned slightly further forward, Raúl Pereira as the other player on the left flank. “It allowed us to win the ball back from Ibiza in more advanced areas. There were phases with players occupying the flanks, both on the right and the left, and it worked excellently with what we had prepared,” he said.
NO INJURIES
After the victory, another piece of good news is worth highlighting: there are no injuries. Although Rubén Iranzo appeared to be struggling, everything points to there being no physical problems. “It is just fatigue, and that is how matches should end. This is what I want from them: to give everything on the pitch, and I am very proud,” the Real Zaragoza coach explained.
At present, Ander Herrera is Real Zaragoza’s only injured player. Even so, Ibai considers him a key figure. “We know how important he is both on and off the pitch, and until now he had not let us down in matches. We are very grateful that he came to support the team and that he is so involved,” he said.
FANS
The coach also described the fans as “impressive.” For him, they are “the biggest difference-maker.” “They are the ones who will help us achieve our objective, because clubs are sustained by their supporters, and even more so at Real Zaragoza,” Ibai Gómez said.
With this victory, the team in white and blue has now won four matches in a row. “I believe we should have five wins from five. We are very clear that praise must not weaken us, and we have to fight every battle as we are doing. I will not allow us to move away from that mindset,” he concluded.
