Diego Martínez highlighted, in the lead-up to the game against the Catalan side, the importance of efficiency during transitions and neutralizing the opponent’s pressing after losing the ball. He also acknowledged that the team must play a perfect match and hope the opponent has an off day in order to come away with a result at the Olímpic Lluís Companys.
The UD Las Palmas coach praised the rival team’s manager and lauded their playing style, given their success so far this season. However, he remains convinced that "no matter what percentage Artificial Intelligence predicts, we have to cling to the belief we have in ourselves."
These were some of his standout comments:
- "When we win the ball back, it’s important not to lose it quickly. No matter how much space we have to exploit, we need to be very efficient".
- "In the end, you need everything to stop Barça. Offensively, we’ll have spaces to attack, but we have to be very precise".
- "Barça has always been an inspiring reference in football. Hansi Flick is doing a great job, and they are a very complete team".
- "We must be very precise and accurate with the ball. At the same time, we have to be solid in defensive support and give maximum effort defensively".
- "We need a very strong and united mentality. It’s essential to be clinical with the chances we get, and success in both penalty areas will be fundamental".
- "All players recovering from injuries are working on their return. It will be a week with three games, so we’ll need contributions from everyone".
- "The opponent has added new dimensions to their game, which makes them faster, better at off-the-ball movement, and more vertical. Tactically, it’s fascinating. They can do this because of the contributions from their academy".
- "Pedri is a top player and has been very important for his team and the national squad. He’s a special talent, and we’re lucky to have him in our national team".
- "I’m very grateful to the club and all the staff for their excellent management since we learned about the Copa opponent on short notice and how well they organized the trip".
- "Whatever happens tomorrow, we have to stay focused on our goal. We need to build a winning mentality and deliver our best version so that, regardless of the result, we keep growing as a team".