Bilbao – Athletic coach Marcelino Garcia Torral confirmed, after Barcelona were eliminated in the Copa del Rey last 16, that today was a “special night that has become magical” and that it will be “hard to forget”.
“I think I will never forget it as long as I live. Football today was fair to Athletic and their players,” stressed Asturian, who admitted that he “enjoyed the game” of the athlete who “was superior in most minutes, match and overtime” for Barcelona.
“When we were already playing a deserved win, it slipped us away, but the team kept going. The response in overtime was great for a very fair victory. It wasn’t just intensity. It was playing, rhythm, collection, comings. All the data tells us we were ahead of Barcelona” Marcelino confirmed.
On an individual level, the coach revealed that when he changed Nico Williams, he told him, among other things, that he “played the best game since he played in the first team” because above all he was an “extraordinary read” from the game.
Like Iker Minnen: “He gave a great performance. He participated in the three goals and was constantly involved in the match, technically brutal. He played a very full match,” he said of the captain.
Finally, regarding Uyhan Sunset’s physical problems, he commented that on Friday he will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of his knee injury.
“He didn’t feel anything alarming, but his knee moved and he felt uncomfortable. Let’s hope it’s moderate,” concluded Marcelino, who also confirmed Julen Agirrezabala would be the starting goalkeeper for Athletic’s cup matches.
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