Girona manager Michel Sánchez praised his side’s display after the 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in La Liga’s 31st round, calling the point earned at the Bernabéu “extremely valuable”.
Speaking after the match, Sánchez said: “Real Madrid have incredible quality; they were the better side and created more chances, but we defended well. The point is the most important thing from the match, and I’m very happy with the huge effort the players put in.”
“After they scored, the pressure was intense, but Thomas Lemar’s moment of brilliance got us the equaliser. A point here comes at a cost.”
He also revealed he had spoken to several Real Madrid players, adding, “I believe they can turn the tie around in the second leg, and I hope they progress for the good of Spanish football.”
On his substitutions, the Argentine explained that he had considered a 5-4-1 to press higher, but ultimately introduced Abel and Bryan to maintain intensity and ensure his side could still hit back if Madrid scored.
Simeone also praised Thomas Lemar, describing him as “a brilliant player who is exceptional between the lines, but he must look towards goal more. In the second half he was more aggressive and helped us a lot.”
On the controversial incident between Vitor Reis and Kylian Mbappé, Sánchez said he was too far away to judge clearly, adding that Reis insisted there was no deliberate action. “It was a clean game with plenty of actual playing time,” the coach concluded.