Málaga coach Juan Francisco Funes has declared that his team faces Real Sociedad with the intention of achieving their first victory of the season after their return to LaLiga. In the press conference prior to the game on matchday nine, Funes described the San Sebastián team as a team that “started hesitant” in the competition, but that “has picked up cruising speed” and that is showing the strengths that took them to the Europa League the previous year.
Funes pointed out that Real Sociedad has overcome the initial doubts that arose after their first matches and that they now appear solid and competitive. “He is showing those strengths that made him be in Europe last year,” said the Granada coach. Furthermore, he assured that the fact that the San Sebastian team played in the Europa League last Thursday should not affect their performance, since "we will see it when they show their lineup." According to Funes, six or seven Real Sociedad players might not be as worn out, but “if so, it won't be a disadvantage for them.”
The Málaga coach also praised Real Sociedad coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, calling him “a great job” and highlighting the versatility of his squad. “His team has great versatility, it is very solvent in organized attack, it dominates you inside and out and takes you to different registers,” commented Funes. “When someone faces Real, it is difficult to find their weaknesses,” he added, underlining Real Sociedad's ability to create ball situations that can result in penalties.
Funes concluded that Málaga will have to be attentive to the way Real Sociedad executes its game. "They are a team that takes you to ball sequences in which they penalize you. Yesterday, after half an hour, they were very dominant, even away from home. We are going to keep it in mind," he emphasized. With this assessment, the Málaga coach prepares for a match that promises to be decisive for his position in the table and to consolidate his goal of winning his first game after returning to the top category of Spanish football.