Alavés lost 1‑0 against Atlético de Madrid at the Mendizorroza Stadium, and coach Quique SánchezFlores described the match as a difficult day for his team. CutiRomero's goal, which came after an excellent pass from Baena, sealed the victory for the Colchonero team in the final minutes of the match.
At the press conference, SánchezFlores admitted that Atlético had demanded a lot from its players. “The rival demanded a lot from us and played with great discretion,” he explained. He pointed out that the team had been pushed to the limit when it came to renewing the eleven and that the expulsion of ÁngelPérez, which occurred when the players were ready to continue with their plan, altered the balance of the match. The coach added that, at one point, he wanted to keep the game with two forwards, but the red card complicated the situation.
The coach also commented that Alavés had not been as good as on other occasions and that the game had been “a bad day.” “We showed order and they made us run,” he said. Regarding the expulsion, he indicated that he had not seen ÁngelPérez with the intention of causing harm and that the VAR had not reacted in the same way as in the first half, where an action by Lookman had been controversial.
Despite the defeat, SánchezFlores highlighted the good streak that Alavés had had before the match and assured that the result should not be marked as a definitive blow. “We are from the Champions League and we knew they were going to push us to the limit,” he said. With the expulsion and the four games without a win, the coach stressed that the team is entering a new block of games and that they must now start thinking about the next matchday in Vigo.
Alavés, who were in the middle of the table, will have to look for a comeback in their next match to prevent the negative streak from getting longer. Atlético de Madrid, for its part, consolidates itself in the Champions League qualifying zone, while Alavés will have to adjust its strategy and regain confidence after the defeat in Mendizorroza.