Toril: “It's an important match and we're looking forward to it”
"We're starting the Champions League season at home and we want to get off to the best possible start", said Olga prior to hosting Celtic on matchday two (6:45pm CEST).
Alberto Toril and Olga spoke to the media ahead of the second matchday of the Women's Champions League group stage (6:45pm CEST). The coach gave his thoughts on the clash with Celtic at the Alfredo Di Stéfano: "We're looking forward to it. The Champions League is a very exciting competition and this match is important after our first result away from home. We're feeling good and are looking to take all three points and play well".
"It's a very short competition, in six games you have to play for qualification and each one is an opportunity to take a step forward. Celtic are a tough opponent and are on the back of a defeat, just like us. We feel we have a great chance to get through the group stage. We're currently in a very positive phase in terms of our play and our intensity. Even though we didn't get the three points the other day, we played well. We have to start picking up the points".
The mental aspect
"Over the years, the team has improved individually and collectively, and this is also linked to the mental side of the game. The players have the ability to adapt to competing and not drop their level by playing every three days and they are making a lot of progress. To be a big team you have to be able to control all kinds of situations and in that respect, we're doing very well".
Olga
"We're trying to manage the workload. She's a vital player, her contribution is always very important. She doesn't show fatigue, her physical and footballing performance is always excellent. We'll manage the games according to how she feels".
The national team squad
"We don't agree. You can do things well, like the English, Swedish or German national teams, who respect the clubs and the players. Or you can do it badly, setting a squad on the same day that a Spanish team is playing an important Champions League match. My players have to be focused on the Champions League match. We have ten or eleven potentially eligible players. When the national team puts out the list on Thursday, they're not thinking about the clubs. We should consider that".
Olga: ‘We'e confident in the work we are doing’
"We're very happy. We would have liked to have taken all three points the other day, but we keep looking forward. We're starting the Champions League campaign at home and we're very excited about it. It's a different competition for the club and for us and we are looking to start it in the best possible way here".
Confidence
"The team is very happy. We're very confident in what we're doing. It's a very different Real Madrid and we're very happy with that. We want to carry on working, the goals are going to come. Pressure is a positive thing, it generates a desire to keep improving and breaking records. We want to win every competition by believing in the work we put in every day and persevering".
Does motivation increase in this type of match?
"We have to remember that when teams play Real Madrid they have that day circled on their calendars. That means we can't relax. The most important matches are the ones that require the least motivation because it's intrinsic. As captain, what I want to instil in the team is a winning mentality, that we work hard every day and that we go out to win every game because that's what the club wants us to do".