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González: "It was a fair result"

The coach analyses the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid

RCD Espanyol coach Manolo González said in a post-match press conference that his side's 1-1 result against Atletico Madrid was "fair" after a "very hard-fought" game.

"We had some bad periods where we struggled, but we made substitutions and improved. We had a very good half-hour. The change in forwards hurt us. Adding more forwards doesn't make you attack or play better. We improved when we made the second substitution. The substitutions helped us a lot because they gave us the energy to level the game," he summed up.

The coach stated that he was "proud" of the team for the step forward they took.

"Now it's time to keep working. We're on a very good path. We have to keep the team in the Primera División, which is what we all want. The team played very well, and the substitutions gave us a boost of speed and energy... We had many chances. Every point is important. This gives us a lot of strength. We have to try to win, but when you can't win, you have to draw."

"I suppose people will say we're defensive. I think we're consistent. We're doing very well at home. At home, our fans help us a lot because we have a lot of young players, who are encouraged by the fans' support. Now we go to Rayo Vallecano, and we will go there to win," declared the Espanyol coach.

González expressed that "seeing that we can compete gives us a boost. We competed against Athletic Club, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad... and what happened in Mallorca, happened... I didn't see the result in danger, but I thought we would have a chance. With the substitutions, we fixed our mistakes, and they didn't create any opportunities. They can create chances with quality, but I wasn't afraid of the result changing. They didn't create any danger against us like in the game against Girona. I'm very happy."