Giráldez downplays Celta's emphatic win: 'Scoreline flatters us'
Celta Vigo boss admits 4-1 victory over Valencia wasn't reflective of the match, while revealing multiple injury concerns and keeping focus firmly on survival.
Celta’s gaffer keeping his feet firmly on the terra firma despite his side’s impressive 4-1 demolition of Valencia.
Claudio Giráldez was in no mood to get carried away following Celta Vigo’s thumping victory over Valencia, insisting the scoreline painted a false picture of what was actually a closely fought contest.
‘Not at all fair’
Despite the comprehensive-looking scoreline, Giráldez was refreshingly honest about his team’s performance, suggesting they’d had the rub of the green when it mattered most.
“It’s a more inflated result than should be normal,” admitted the Celta boss, who clearly felt his side had enjoyed their fair share of good fortune throughout the ninety.
Giráldez praised Valencia’s approach, describing their performance as “brutal” and noting how they showed “great personality” with various tactical adjustments that caused Celta problems.
Injury crisis brewing?
Behind the scenes, Celta appear to be dealing with something of a medical nightmare. The manager revealed a laundry list of fitness concerns that would make any physio reach for the brown bread:
- Starfelt was already ruled out before the match
- Williot Swedberg struggled through thirty minutes while feeling physically ill
- Pablo Durán suffered a shoulder injury almost immediately after coming on
- Radu picked up a knock
- Miguel Román played through pain for the entire second half
Managing these injury problems will be crucial for Celta as they look to build on their promising position.
Eyes on survival, not Europe
Despite Celta sitting comfortably in the top half of the table, Giráldez refuses to entertain any chat about European qualification. The gaffer remains laser-focused on reaching the magic 42-point mark he believes will guarantee La Liga survival.
“These are numbers that bring us closer to safety,” he stated, emphasizing that avoiding relegation remains the club’s priority despite their “privileged position” in the table.
This pragmatic approach might frustrate some supporters dreaming of European nights, but after Celta’s recent struggles, consolidation might be just what the doctor ordered.