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González: "We have to play to win"
The coach previews the Catalan derby against Girona FC
A Catalan derby awaits RCD Espanyol on Friday night, and coach Manolo González talked ahead of the game against Girona in his pre-match press conference.
“I want to win tomorrow -for our fans and for ourselves, not because of what happened last year against Girona. That's a long way in the past, and looking back doesn't help you at all,” said González when asked about possible revenge for last season's heavy defeat at Montilivi.
“You have to play to win. You have to focus on how you can do damage to your opponents. Looking at the standings, at this point in the season, isn't a true reflection and doesn't get you anywhere. Girona will have a strong desire to win, but we have even more desire.”
He did point out, however, that “the team are in good form, and we have to maintain the same pace we had the other day against Valencia. I hope we'll be a recognisable team, in which there's competition amongst the squad to play.”
He explained that “every game is deceptive. The other day, with 21 shots on goal, we equalised in the 95th minute. We were able to defend well throughout the match, and yet we still conceded two goals. Against Mallorca, we had everything under control, and it got tricky because of a penalty. Tomorrow we have a tough game, and we have to go out there to win from the first minute. When we're not at our best, we have to be organised and keep a cool head.”
Regarding Girona, González reflected that “they have their identity and are brave. So we're going to prepare for the game to overcome any eventuality. I will look for the most competitive XI to win tomorrow in Girona.”