Real are stumbling at home and in Europe, but Marcelino has dismissed talk of the title holders being in crisis.
Injury losses:
“Regarding the last match, we have a new loss in Denis Suárez and the rest of us are the same. We did not have Ayoze or the rest back, who have been injured for a longer period of time."
Match in Madrid:
“We are facing the match with great enthusiasm. A team that won almost everything last year. We are going with all the enthusiasm, all the ambition, knowing that we are facing a great team. After 37 games without losing, they lose one. At the Bernabéu they have not lost since 2023, when the last team to win there was Villarreal. We know it will be difficult, but that does not take away our enthusiasm or ambition. We have to show our best level in all facets of the game.”
Ayoze Perez's absence:
“The coach has to think about those he has available and not those he doesn't have. We don't have to look for excuses. We have a squad and players in whom we have full confidence. We will look for other arguments to make up for this absence. From this collective idea, we introduce individual ones. We won't look for excuses for an absence. If it happens, it will be because we are facing a great rival. We have to look for maximum performance during the 90 minutes.”
Tough match?
“The team that is suffering the least so far is Barça... and they also suffered a painful defeat recently. I have fully assumed that all our games will be like they have been up to now. Villarreal may win one game out of every goal comfortably, but the normal thing is to win by suffering. And I hope we win more by suffering. We would like to be a more effective team in the area, that concedes less, because the opponent can score goals with little. But we are frankly satisfied. We will always want to improve, because that is the DNA we have to have, and because at the same time we are a team with many changes and with players who still have to adapt to the language, and that means that we still have room for improvement.”
A match between direct rivals?
“I don’t think so, because Madrid is one of the best clubs in the world, if not the best, and at Villarreal we don’t compete with those weapons. But we have picked up a lot of points and we are performing at a high level, so we are excited, but we also know how difficult this match will be.”
Bad times for Madrid?
“We don’t want to be a stone guest. I don’t get the impression that Real Madrid are doing badly. They have the player who is most accurate at goal, they are one of the teams that plays more in the opponent’s half and has more possession, they are the team that scores the most goals in the second half…”
More solid midfield?
“More or less when things are going well, the coaches don’t change much. We can change some players, because the schedules are tight or due to the players’ circumstances, for example Yeremy who is coming back from a long injury. Baena has hardly had any rest… We try to take advantage of all the virtues that the players offer us, but without it entailing an overexertion physically and mentally. But we are not going to vary much.”
A team that wants more and is hungry for Villarreal success?
“That is the mentality we try to instil and that they show us on the pitch. It is satisfying to see how in Seville you win in the 95th minute with five players inside the box, in Mallorca too. This team trains well, has a good working environment and wants more. The mix of experts with youngsters... the sum of all this leads us to a team that I am proud of, because they want more.”
1,000 fans go to Madrid:
“It is a satisfaction for us. Here it is always a combination: the team transmits and the fans support. If this is achieved it is a good sign that we can achieve things. Teams that are reliable in their stadium normally occupy high places in the table. This year we have played 4 games at home (2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss). Here with the support of the fans we have to be a reliable team. And we appreciate the fact that 1,000 people go to Madrid and we will try to repay that effort with desire, with effort…”
Pau Navarro and Pau Cabanes:
“It is much better for the young players to make appearances when the team is performing well. They cannot be burdened with responsibility when the dynamic is bad, because they can help but they do not change the dynamic. If they came on the field it is because the team needed them and we believed in them.”