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Diego Martínez: “We are focused on the present”
The coach insists that all eyes are only on the upcoming match against Real Valladolid
Diego Martínez has insisted that the team remains solely focused on the match ahead against Real Valladolid on Sunday.
RCD Espanyol are gunning for a third consecutive LaLiga victory, something they have not achieved for four years. The coach addressed the media at the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque on Friday, speaking ahead of a vital clash in the league standings.
Martínez said, “We have to focus on the present to have the best possible outcome in the future. It will be a tough match, these matches are determined by fine details. There are nine, 10 teams who are separated by a small margin of points – you do not have to look at the table - and we know that it will not be easy”.
Espanyol have prevailed against Elche and Mallorca in their last two fixtures, seeing them rise up the table and towards the edge of the top half. Momentum is key and that is what they have, alongside confidence and a positive atmosphere within the team.
That is also reflected in their solid away form, with just one defeat in their last four trips. On the team’s fortunes away from home, the coach explained, “The team has never viewed home and away matches differently. We are competitively regardless of who and where we play, fighting for every match, ball and situation”.
It was against Real Valladolid that Espanyol got their first home win of the season, prevailing 1-0 thanks to Joselu’s winner. Valladolid sit on the edge of the relegation zone going into Sunday’s match though the table remains tight, with every result vital.
He concluded, “They are a good team with quality out wide and up top, so we must play well to win at their ground. The team knows what it takes to win, they demand the maximum of themselves every day. Every day is a new chapter, they tell me every day that they believe in what they do”.