Alessio Lisci: “This is a match that could be very important for what lies ahead”

Osasuna head coach Alessio Lisci spoke to the media ahead of the match against Girona and discussed the importance of Saturday’s clash for his side.

“This is a match that could be very important for what lies ahead,” he said. “It’s not decisive, because regardless of the result there’s still a long way to go before we can say it will define our push toward the top. But it can be an important step because right now we’re level on points, and beating a team that’s alongside us is crucial.”

Asked about Girona and what he expects from the match, Lisci said: “They’re a team that, wherever they go, tries to play their game with a lot of personality. They have a great coach — in my opinion one of the best in the league — and it shows. They’re very well coached and have a strong squad. In the end, coaches always depend on players.

“I expect a very difficult match. As you know, games here have always been complicated. Playing against Girona is always tough. You saw it in the first meeting — we played well and still lost. It wasn’t enough. We’ll have to be better than we were in that game if we want to win.

“I expect a match with different phases. Even if we don’t like it, there will be moments when the opponent takes the ball away from us because they do it very well. It’s like when we face the big teams. We have to understand that at times we’ll have to suffer, take advantage of our moments, and manage theirs. There will be phases that suit them and others that suit us, and we have to get through their moments and capitalize on ours.”

“We’ve started making mistakes again that we had eliminated”

Lisci also addressed the team’s recent run — one draw and two losses in the last three matches — and acknowledged that “the team has started making mistakes again that we had eliminated.”

“We’re human, and if there were no mistakes, every team would be able to go on long winning streaks,” he said. “In football, you have very little time to work. You focus on one thing and lose something else. Then you correct that and something else slips. When you’re on a good run, you can lose certain aspects.

“You also need key moments of luck in matches to build those streaks. It’s very difficult for a team to win without the opponent creating anything. The other day against Real Sociedad, we didn’t play well, and even then we had a penalty given against us that was later ruled out and a very clear penalty in our favor that wasn’t awarded.

“Even when you play poorly and the opponent plays very well, sometimes those key moments go your way and you take points. That’s happened to us away from home — we’ve had that bit of luck and won games. We deserved it, but in key moments the opponent misses and you score.

“You have to stay calm during both good and bad runs. You’re not amazing when you’re winning, and you’re not terrible when you’re not. You always have to keep things in balance. It’s human nature to focus more on some aspects than others.”

“It’s recognition for Víctor, and his teammates deserve credit”

Lisci was also asked about the day’s major Osasuna-related news: Víctor Muñoz’s first call-up to the Spanish national team.

“I love working with young players,” Lisci said. “As I’ve always said, I can only do a good job if the player has the right attitude and talent. Without that, no matter how much work I put in, it won’t lead to a national team call-up.

“So I think the main credit goes to him, and then to the club and his teammates. Above all, because no player stands out without 10 others helping him do so.

“This reflects very well on what we’re doing and what the players are doing, because it’s not every day that an Osasuna player gets called up to the national team. Above all, it’s recognition for him, but his teammates also deserve applause — without 10 or 15 teammates, he wouldn’t have made it.”