Chus Mateo: “We've stepped things up defensively"
“Tenerife is a tough opponent and we'll have to be at 100% if we want to beat them,” underlined the coach.
Chus Mateo spoke to Realmadrid TV on the eve of Real Madrid-Laguna Tenerife, on matchday 16 in the Endesa League (Sunday, 5:00 pm CET). The coach discussed the clash at the Movistar Arena: “We've already qualified for the Copa del Rey but the aim is to keep picking up wins. We know how hard it is to juggle two very demanding competitions, and after what has been a really tough run, we face strong opposition in Tenerife."
“We'll try and give a good account of ourselves, keep our legs as fresh as possible and look to take another win. Beyond just the physical side, a positive mentality and always looking forward is crucial. Our mentality is playing a key role in how we've handled the last month. We've stepped things up defensively and that's helping us come through some pretty difficult games."
The opposition
“They play some great basketball. The players and coach have known each other for a long time, they play in a similar way and are very clear in their approach. They're also very unpredictable. We'll try and be at 100% to beat a team that has shown they are top-level for several years now. We'll try and make sure our fans get behind us and look forward to feeling the warmth that we do at home, which gives us an added energy boost."
Mentality
“We didn't start the way we expected, but we're still working hard. We're together, we're a unit. Unity and solidarity are heavily present, I'm delighted to see the togetherness in this group. I'm very proud. But nothing stops here, we're only just getting started."