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Cabrera: “The team is very mentally strong”
The defender explains the collective mentality has been crucial this season
Leandro Cabrera spoke of the team’s collective strength both mentally and physically, ahead of Friday’s trip to Almería.
RCD Espanyol travel down to southern Spain looking to conclude the first half of the season in style, having just won back-to-back LaLiga matches. The Uruguayan has been key to that recent success, commanding the defence and contributing to the team effort.
Cabrera said, “We prepare for every match with the idea of working hard, making an effort and sacrifice. The World Cup break helped us to correct details, and the difference between winning the other day and not winning on other days has been minimal. The connection the other day [against Real Betis] was tremendous and we hope to continue with these results”.
He continued, “We are a team who have good individual quality as well as collective. We support each other, we are very mentally strong. and we don't despair. The way to go is to resist, move forward and have faith until the final minute. Whether or not we get the three points may lie in not being wrong”.
Cabrera was also full of praise for the Espanyol fans who have always remained behind the team, even in moments of adversity throughout the season. “They have always believed in us”, he said. “We thank them, and we want them to continue supporting us because we are going to stand up for the Club”.
Almería are the next opponents and are in a similar position to the team, just a place and a point behind Espanyol. Friday’s match at the Power Horse Stadium will be crucial if not challenging, as the centre-back was keen to acknowledge.
Cabrera said, “We're going to a very difficult ground against a strong team with a lot of pace that cannot be given space. But we are going with the same conviction as in other matches, we know that we will have to sweat blood to get the reward and win, but we are willing to do so”.