Bojan Mivoski struck twice, with Bryan Gil and Ladislav Krejci also on the scoresheet, leaving Michel pleased with the winning momentum they're garnering.
The match:
“The best Girona I can imagine is the first half hour. We started spectacularly. We wanted to play with four players inside, I knew that Miguel would have to mark him individually and that is why I also put Arnau and Van de Beek in. We managed to get Oriol Romeu to play more alone and we had a presence up front.
“Getting players back is key and those who were carrying a lot of weight have been able to rest. In no match have we looked at how we were, but rather forward. I have a lot of humanity with my team, they give everything. They have soul and a feeling of being a top club.
"We had seven games before the break with a lot of minutes for the players. They have taken a step forward and have stood up for themselves and we have to recognise that. After a good break, the pace of the first half hour is the closest to last season. We started the game better than Espanyol and we were very good at pressing after losing the ball.”
The standings:
“I haven’t seen them, but it’s a good figure to reach 21 points. There are still five games left in the first half of the season and, looking back at the first third, 18 was already a good figure, even though it was far from what people wanted. We knew it would be a difficult season, but I hope to give a better version, to seal our continuity in the Primera Division, which gives the club peace of mind and growth.
“We played a great game. The most important part of the first half hour was the pressure after losing the ball because Espanyol had a good transition with Puado and Jofre. We were able to control this situation and that was the key.”
Miovski:
“I am very happy for him. He gives his all in training. He had a great game with and without the ball, he needs time because comparisons are bad. He was worried but not the team. We cannot control the environment, he was suffering because of the situation. Bojan is not Dovbyk, he is Bojan. He needs people to understand that he comes to work and give his all. The two goals are a relief for him.”
Bryan Gil:
“His best form has yet to come as he recovers from an injury, but the process with him is what we expected.”
Oriol Romeu:
“I told his son that I had finally seen the Oriol of two years ago. He is a top player, his mind is top and he has been at the level I always expect from him. He needed time after a difficult year, the recent injury… He gives us a lot with and without the ball.”
Continuity:
"It's not that we're back, we have to give continuity to this since we've played today but on Wednesday in Austria, then the league, the cup, Madrid, Liverpool. Last year I said we would finish at the top and this year I say we'll grow a lot in every sense and I don't put a ceiling on it."
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