Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez did not hide his frustration after his team’s 2-0 loss to Real Madrid.
Despite the result, the coach said he saw the positives in his team’s performance, even if the result didn’t reflect their efforts.
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Speaking after the game, Gonzalez began by pointing out the small margin that decided the outcome.
He emphasized that the Spaniard was competitive throughout but failed to seize opportunities at critical moments.
“The defeat hurts because we played well. We were right. But you have to stay close until the end.”
Talking about the differences between the two sides, he pointed out that against top teams like Real Madrid, missed opportunities are often punished.
“If you don’t take advantage of your chances, their players can decide the outcome of the game.”
Analysis by Manolo Gonzalez
The Espanyol boss also focused on what he sees as missed opportunities. He explained that his team was better in the first half and even started the second half strong.
Real Madrid easily defeated Espanyol. (Photo by Judit Katir/Getty Images)
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“We played better than them in the first half and we even started well in the second half.”
He then pointed out key chances that could have changed everything, mentioning specific moments when his players came close to scoring.
“After being down 1-0, we responded well and had a few scoring chances. Tratz’s chance, one from Roberto… being down 2-0 really hurt us.”
Gonzalez believes the game could have gone in a completely different direction if Espanyol had taken the lead.
“I think if the team had taken the lead it would have been a completely different story.
“After going 2-0 down, we really struggled. But I say it again: we pushed Madrid back into their own half at the start of the second half.”
He concluded by admitting that despite creating multiple chances after conceding the first goal, his team simply could not maintain the momentum.
“After falling behind 1-0, we had three scoring chances. After that, we lost momentum.” he concluded.
Source: AS