The Granate coach praised Mallorca’s “pace and intensity”.
Aware of the fantastic opportunity that awaits Pontevedra, living a cup dream by hosting Mallorca after eliminating Levante and Villarreal, the manager of the Granate team, Yago Iglesias, is convinced that Pasarón will experience a night of great football in the round of 32. Copa del Rey final.
“We have been training for several days, and all the players are perfectly fit, after a week of disconnection. The team is impatient for tomorrow to arrive, especially because of the atmosphere that we expect to be created, given the discussions around and the great rival that we are about to face,” added the ribeirense coach, who anticipate a sharp Mallorca after their end of year victory with two consecutive victories against Girona and Getafe, having placed the Bermellones in the positions of the European League.
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In this regard, Iglesias expects a very different approach to that of Villarreal, who fell victim to Granate’s ball control in Pasarón until Dálisson sealed the elimination in the final moments of the match.
“They are an intense and very physical team, with many excellent attributes, made up of top players. Just look at the rankings and their current position. Not to mention that they will leave for the Supercopa de España in two to three days. That says a lot about their stature. Footballistically, they are a high quality team, characterized by the pace and intensity that their coach, Jagoba Arrasate, always reflects, but it is a little different from Villarreal,” analyzed the boss Granate.
Regarding possible changes to the starting XI, Iglesias confirmed that there will be modifications compared to the lineup that started their last league match against Real Ávila. Such a rotation could allow players who did not participate in this match but who did in the cup, such as Javi Fontán or Xabi Domínguez, as well as Iago Novo, who started in the first two rounds of the cup and saw his minutes reduced in Ávila.
“Rather than opting for a Cup or League option, we select player profiles based on what we want to display on the pitch, being clear that the opponent is a very physical team with an intense defensive plan. They will demand a lot from us, and we will put together a team adapted to the characteristics of the opponent,” assessed the manager, emphasizing the particularly special nature of the match for the team.
“We are excited to continue to have nights like the ones we had, and these types of matches bring us closer to the teams, players and coaches of non-professional football, making us feel professional, and we have to enjoy,” he concluded.
