Matarazzo relieved after last-gasp win but demands clinical edge from La Real
New Real Sociedad boss Pellegrino Matarazzo secured his first victory at the helm but admits his side should have made life easier for themselves against Getafe.
Real Sociedad finally delivered Pellegrino Matarazzo his first win as manager, but it was proper heart-in-mouth stuff at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
The American-Italian gaffer watched his side snatch all three points through Jon Mikel Aramburu’s late winner after Getafe had seemingly nicked a point with a late equaliser. Talk about drama!
Relief mixed with frustration
Matarazzo couldn’t hide his mixed emotions post-match. While chuffed with the victory, he was clearly miffed about how his team made a meal of what should’ve been a more comfortable afternoon.
“We could have made life easier for ourselves by scoring a second goal,” he admitted, pointing to several squandered chances that left La Real vulnerable to Getafe’s late sucker punch.
What impressed the new boss most was how his players responded after conceding. Rather than dropping their heads, they pushed forward relentlessly, winning a series of free-kicks before finally converting one for the winner.
Battle at the Coliseum
The match unfolded exactly as Matarazzo had anticipated - a proper dogfight with:
- Second balls to be won
- Long balls to deal with
- Crosses to defend
- A pitch that wasn’t exactly carpet-like
“We expected a pitch where it’s not easy to play,” Matarazzo explained, acknowledging that sometimes in these away days, it’s about the result rather than the performance. Getting the three points was job done, regardless of how it came about.
Room for improvement
Despite the win, Matarazzo wasn’t about to get carried away. He’s adamant his team has significant room for improvement if they want to climb the table.
“The lads are connected, we have clarity about how we want to play,” he said, “but we have a lot to improve. We have many positive things, but as our performances improve, we’ll get more points.”
For now though, the new gaffer can enjoy his first win in charge - even if it did nearly give everyone connected with La Real a right old brown bread moment at the end.