Alessio Lisci: “I want to see an intense Osasuna”

Osasuna head coach Alessio Lisci addressed the media on Friday to preview tomorrow’s match against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio de Vallecas. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CET (1 p.m. GMT, 8 a.m. ET). The Rojillo boss highlighted the importance of maintaining the momentum and wanting to see the same intensity the team has shown. “[I would like to see] an Osasuna in line with what we have been doing — a team that tries to be intense and stay in the game,” while acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge. “It will be a tough match because it is a difficult venue, the opponent does many things well and is also very intense and presses a lot,” he said. “But we also want to impose ourselves and respond.”

Lisci added that the main objective is to replicate the performance shown in Osasuna’s most recent away match at Girona. “The challenge is to play a good match like we did in Girona, and from there the second objective is to get points,” he said. “When we play away from home, I don’t talk about wins. The focus has to be on ourselves and on putting in a good performance. If we play many matches like the one in Girona, we will earn many points away from home.”

Asked about Rayo Vallecano, Lisci said the league table is extremely tight this season. “It’s not that Rayo are doing poorly in the league. It’s just very difficult to be consistent this year,” he said. “They do many things very well. I even watch them for enjoyment because I like the way they play, and that tells you how difficult tomorrow’s match will be.”

The Rome native noted that Rayo’s home results have not reflected their performances. “They have fewer points than they deserve, but football is like that sometimes,” he said. “When you face a team with the same number of points as you, it’s essential to play well and show continuity. We’re in a good moment. Since the Levante match, we would be fifth in the standings if you only looked at those games, which shows we’re on a good run. We want to extend that, especially in terms of performances, because results depend on many factors.”

Lisci on Raúl Moro

Lisci also spoke about new signing forward Raúl Moro, who has been included in the squad.

“Raúl is a player we all liked a lot,” Lisci said. “He’s very good one-on-one and very direct. He’s a profile we were looking for, and fortunately we were able to sign him.”

Lisci said Moro can play on either wing and potentially in more central roles in the future. “Out wide is where he performs best, on both sides,” he said. “Like Víctor [Muñoz], Kike [Barja] and Rubén [García], it’s about putting wingers in the right conditions to perform. Playing on the natural side or the opposite side demands different things, and he will give us different options.”