The Real Sociedad coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, was satisfied with the way his team managed to win 3‑2 over Deportivo de La Coruña, despite having played with ten men in the second half. In the press conference held in the Anoeta room, Matarazzo highlighted the ability of his players to react and resolve the situation, while analyzing the weak points of the match.
In his assessment of the first half, the coach pointed out that “we did not play fast enough, we were not vertical and we did not break lines.” According to Matarazzo, the lack of man-to-man pressure and the lack of movement on the goalkeeper caused him to lose playing time. “We knew that if you want to put pressure on them, you have to commit to man-to-man,” he explained, adding that the second half was about changing that aspect. Despite the initial pressure, the team showed a positive reaction, staying organized and working together to overcome the disadvantage.
Among the tactical novelties, Matarazzo highlighted the performance of Arsen Zakharyan as a false “9”. "It's not a nine, it goes down to receive. You have two players, with Guedes and Barrenetxea, who anchored the defense and attacked the depth. And Zakharyan moving between the lines, where he has the ability to turn in small spaces and put deep balls in," the coach explained. The striker demonstrated his ability to play vertically and directly, and his presence in the area was dangerous, which contributed to the victory.
The controversial penalty and red card to Pablo Marín, which arose after a struggle with Nsongo, was also a topic of discussion. Matarazzo admitted that “at that moment, the two players were grabbing each other.” According to him, if the referee interpreted the action as a foul, the red card was the natural consequence. “I don't know if it had to be a foul and a red card,” he commented, showing some caution in the face of the arbitrary decision.
Regarding the statistic of the 11 goals conceded after the 60th minute, the coach explained that the physical level of the players was still in the process of consolidation, especially after the World Cup and the preseason injuries. "It's an interesting statistic. At the beginning of the season, I could explain that it was because of the physical level we had reached," he said.
With the final match of the group stage already marked, Real Sociedad prepares for the continental duel against Union Saint-Gilloise. Matarazzo described the rival as a “very good” team that “presses high and vertically.” “I expect a high intensity in Thursday's game,” the coach concluded, pointing out the importance of maintaining pressure and defensive organization.
To close the conference, Matarazzo shared a light anecdote about the language. "I don't have a date to do the press conferences entirely in Spanish. When I feel more comfortable. I think it is important to speak freely and I still don't feel that with my Spanish. Sometimes I look for words and with one or two beers it is much easier. But I can't drink beer before the press conference. Hopefully very soon," he added with a smile.