González: “We need to take a step forward away from home”
When RCD Espanyol play Deportivo Alavés this weekend, a victory would provide a massive boost for Manolo González’ men. The coach spoke on Friday about the fixture, and about how he wants to carry over the team’s home form to their road games.
“What we lack is mentality and confidence, more than a formation. We have to have the same mentality at home away from home. Tomorrow is the day to make a statement,” he said of the game at Mendizorroza.
“If we win, we will pull away from Alavés even more. It’s the same as always: When you get points, the opponents don’t. If we win, we would take a very important step with respect to the opposition. It’s time to do our talking on the pitch. Tomorrow we have a very difficult match and we must stop talking about anything else. The facts are what speak for themselves.”
For the coach, “a draw is never enough for us. I can say one thing here, but what counts is what happens on the pitch. We have to take that step forward to get the three points.”
“What we have to do is go out there with a strong attitude and be able to play this match. We have to be solid and strong, brave and daring with the ball. Attack with conviction. We do all this at home and we have to do it away from home.”
He also stressed that “the team are very united and that is evident when everyone trains like beasts. Without everyone’s help it is impossible for the team to maintain the level they have.”
“Alavés are a good team, capable of changing their setup during the game. They will treat it as a final and so will we. We have to keep a cool head, know how to approach the match and take the play where we want.”
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The coach looks ahead to the fixture with Deportivo Alavés
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Alaves vs Espanyol: Match Preview and Prediction
February 22, 2025. 15:00. Vitoria. “Mendizorrotza”.
La Liga 2024-25. Matchday 25
“Alaves” (Vitoria) – “Espanyol” (Barcelona)
Injuries: Carlos Benavides, Tomas Konechny – Fernando Pacheco, Pablo Ramon, Jose Gragera
Doubtful: Jesus Ovono, Hugo Novoa (both – “Alaves”)
At risk of suspension: Antonio Sivera, Moussa Diarra, Jon Guridi (all – “Alaves”)
Following their last match against “Leganes”, the Basques lodged a complaint regarding the quality of refereeing in their games. Indeed, the “Blue-Whites” are suffering from dubious decisions when it comes to penalty calls, as they seem to be awarded penalties in situations that are overlooked in other matches. Perhaps this is simply a coincidence; however, it might also stem from the long-standing banner seen in broadcasts from “Mendizorrotza” stating “No La Liga matches on Fridays and Mondays”. No one is overtly trying to “kill off” Alaves, as the saying goes, but questionable decisions against the Basques do seem to occur quite frequently.
However, no matter how much one wants to blame the referees, it does not change the fact that since the coaching change, “Babazorros” have not shown any signs of progress. Their style of play and results have deteriorated even further, leading the team into the relegation zone. Frankly, the upcoming match could very well be Eduardo Coudet’s last in charge of the “Blue-Whites”. If Alaves fails to win, I suspect the coach will be sacked. Under his management, the Basques have won only once in ten matches – a 3:1 victory against Betis in Seville in mid-January, alongside five draws, an early exit from the Copa del Rey against a fourth-division side, and three narrow defeats to Girona, Barcelona, and Getafe.
The loss to the “Blaugrana” away was certainly deserved; however, in their two home matches against “Rojiblancos” and “Asulones”, Coudet’s team did not deserve to lose at all, yet it happened. In the first case, an otherwise “dry” game was dampened by a fluke goal from Jon Solis in added time, and in the second, it was decided by one of many dubious penalties. Last weekend, Alaves was awarded two penalties against them, both in the first half. Twice the guests managed to come back (the second time with a penalty; while Alaves also gets penalties, they are primarily undisputed), and eventually even took the lead due to an outstanding goal from Kordana, who thus netted a brace, but “Leganes” did not give up and equalized at the end of the match – 3:3.
Recently, the “Parrots” were also involved in a scandal that has been running rampant in Spain for several weeks. Recall that three weeks ago, the Catalans hosted “Real” at home and miraculously defeated the then league leaders – 1:0. The only goal came at the end of the game from Carlos Romero, who should not have been on the pitch due to a previous red card; however, the referee only punished the full-back with a yellow card in an obvious situation. Thanks to this victory, Manolo Gonzalez’s team extended their unbeaten streak in the league this year to four matches. Prior to that, Espanyol could only muster a draw against “Leganes” (1:1) at home, then beat “Valladolid” 2:1, and recorded a 1:1 draw away against “Sevilla”.
This streak was ultimately ended by “Real Sociedad”. The “Parrots” played reasonably well in San Sebastian, but their plans were thwarted by a conceded goal in the very first minute of the match. Early in the second half, the guests equalized thanks to a converted penalty by Javi Puado, but they could not hold onto the positive result – 1:2. Last weekend, Espanyol played against another representative of the Basque Country, “Athletic”, managing to avoid defeat against the fourth-placed team in the league – 1:1. Yes, the “Lions” had the advantage. Yes, they deserved to win in Barcelona. The Basques pressured, but in the 62nd minute, their goalkeeper Unai Simon gifted a goal to Roberto Fernandez, and they could only equalize afterward. Their recent successes have allowed Manolo Gonzalez’s team to escape the relegation zone, but the gap is currently minimal.
For “Alaves”, midfielder Carlos Benavides and winger Tomas Konechny are out injured. Additionally, the participation of backup goalkeeper Jesus Ovono and full-back Hugo Novoa is doubtful. As for “Espanyol”, they still have backup goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco, new defender Pablo Ramon, and holding midfielder Jose Gragera unavailable.
In the first half of the season, “Espanyol” defeated “Alaves” 3:2 at home thanks to a hat-trick from Javi Puado. However, winning against the Basques at home is a routine affair for the “Parrots”, but they last triumphed in Vitoria back in autumn 2016. Since then, they have lost three times and managed one laborious goalless draw in four matches at “Mendizorrotza”. The Eduardo Coudet’s team has nowhere else to go, and this match represents a fantastic opportunity to finally secure a home victory and escape the relegation zone, at least for a week. Of course, victory is not guaranteed for the hosts; they will have to work hard, but I still believe in the Basque character of the “Babazorros” and the goal-scoring prowess of their top scorer Kike Garcia.
1 – Wins
6 – Draws
3 – Losses
Wins – 2
Draws – 5
Losses – 3
Goal Difference
14
15
Scored
Conceded
8
9
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