Imanol, the Real Sociedad manager, expressed happiness about his team’s advancement to the Europa League’s round of 16, a first for him at the helm. However, he also showed regret over conceding a tie to Midjylland, which somewhat dampened the celebration, especially with a LaLiga match against Leganés looming on Sunday.
Imanol discussed Luka Sucic’s injury, which fortunately doesn’t appear to be a serious cruciate lig!ament issue, but the full extent of the injury is still unknown pending test results. “I don’t want to speculate,” Imanol said. “It seems that the cruciate ligament is not affected, but often these things aren’t clear at the time, so we’ll have to wait for the tests to confirm it’s nothing serious. The positive news is that the player wanted to try and continue playing, but I decided we shouldn’t risk it given the upcoming games.”
As for the game against Midtjylland, Imanol acknowledged, “I didn’t like conceding the tie, but I can see why it happened. With a 2-0 lead, the players might have thought the round was already won and eased off. We allowed them to tie because they have quality, and it’s a shame, but understandable considering we’re thinking about Sunday’s game, which is very important.”
Recognizing Defensive Mistakes
Imanol recognized specific defensive mistakes his team has been making lately. “It bothers me, and it’s not just this game. Against Betis, we made a similar error. These are situations we need to avoid if we want to be competitive in all three competitions.”
Before the tie, Real Sociedad seemed to be on track to secure the pass with a 2-0 lead and had more scoring opportunities. “We aimed to start strong, and we did very well. The team showed it can generate and score goals. Perhaps there were moments where we should have eased off, but the players felt confident, so they kept pushing for the third goal.”
Valuing the Europa League Progress
Imanol valued the team’s advancement in the Europa League. “I’m happy, and that’s a good thing, but we always approach every game with the same illusion and humility. We hadn’t advanced past the rivals due to small details, but this year we managed to pass, and I’m happy, though without excessive euphoria. In two days, we have another game, which is madness. We’re already thinking about Leganés, with barely any time to celebrate, just time for congratulations before we play again.”