Marcelino lamented Villarreal’s 4-2 defeat to Sevilla on Sunday as “it was a great match for the team who won. For the losing team…”
A second-half blitz from Sevilla to leave Villarreal’s grip on fourth place in La Liga cut to just five points, with Barcelona up next for the Yellow Submarine, and the Coach admitted his side missed out on “an important step” in securing Champions League football.
“It was great match for the team who won. For the losing team…” he said after the game.
“Still, it was good match between two good footballing teams, but we had chances to retake the lead and were countered [for Konoplyanka’s winner].
“We were below our usual level and that was the key to us losing.
“The strange thing in this game is that we’ve lost our eight-point lead on Sevilla, when it’s normally the other way around.
“We’re having an extraordinary campaign and hopefully we can hold it together in this final stretch.
“There’s no tension for fourth place but still a dream on our part, although staying ahead of Valencia, Sevilla and Athletic [Bilbao] in fourth is difficult.
“We’re grieved to have lost this game because winning here would’ve seen us taken an important step for fourth place.
“Our next game’s against Barcelona and I don’t know what will happen. We need more luck with injuries.”
