Ceballos: “You should never write this team off”

NEWS STORY. 19/01/2023. Eduardo Olivera

Real Madrid booked their place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a big comeback against Villarreal. Ceballos, the star man on the night with a goal and an assist, reflected: “We did have a very poor first half and the game was an uphill battle. But as the coach says, when we’re up against it, we bring out that hunger and courage that make us proud of this crest. That’s how we turned the game around”. “They went ahead very early and started to dominate the game. But the team did well to stay in the game, something we’ve done in previous matches. You should never write this team off”. Coming from behind“We want to take the game to the opposition, get in front and dominate. We haven’t been able to do that in recent games but we have had several games in a row and lots of our players have been away at the World Cup. Now there’s a run of very important games and we’ll make sure we find our feet to push on from here”. Second-half substitutes“That’s what the players are here for. You have to make the most of any game time you get in this jersey, whether it be more or less. We got to come off the bench and we were able to bring just what the team needed at that moment, which was energy and desire”. Winning goal“Every player wants to get more minutes, but we know that’s difficult and I’ll be here fighting to play every game. I’m thrilled to have been able to win it for the team”.

Asensio: “It was a really good second half”“We’re delighted. We struggled a bit in the first half, they got the goal which gave them real confidence. In the dressing room we spoke about how the comeback was possible and we had to show that character we all have in us. It was a great second half display and we managed to turn the game around”. “We have to try and correct the negative elements, but we will focus on the positives too, there was a lot to like about this game. We’re into the quarter-finals and now we’ll prepare for Sunday’s match”. Half-time team talk“It was mainly about encouragement and correcting some tactical aspects. From there, we improved defensively and conceded far fewer chances. In an attacking sense, it was about the talent and movement we have up top”. Subs after the break“They had an impact. Ceballos got an assist and a goal, I managed to set one up as well. But it was a whole team effort, It was a really good second half and we showed what Real Madrid are all about. We can come from behind in any game at any time”. Tension finish“I was quite far away from it but it’s to be expected. These games are so important, it’s a knock-out and tensions run high. It’s also about the way the game went, our comeback only added to the tension. That’s football and now it’s time to move on”. Morale boost“We needed a win and to qualify for the next round. This will give us a nice confidence boost in terms of what we’re doing. This is the path to follow”.