Gabi: "If we win against Malmö, it will be a key step to qualify."
The midfielder and captain of our team said he has a lot of respect for the Swedish team and they expect a difficult match.
Atlético’s captain appeared at the press conference prior to Tuesday's duel in Sweden against Malmö FF. To the media, the Spaniard stressed the strength of the Swedish playing at their stadium. "I expect the Malmö of the first half, we struggled to make scoring plays since they closed in a lot. They decreased their physicality in the second half and we took advantage of it. But, we know that Malmö playing at their stadium are very strong, it is difficult to score on them, it's been a while since anyone has. They are a powerful team and we do not underestimate them," he said.
In addition, the midfielder said that he is only thinking about winning at the SwedBank Stadion in order to qualify as soon as possible for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. "Although at first people said there were only two clear cut teams who could qualify, that is not the case. If we beat Malmö, it would be a key step towards qualifying, but everyone works with their own resources and I am sure we will see a more aggressive rival than we saw in the second half at the Calderón," he admitted.
Gabi also wanted to remind everybody of one of the mottos in the changing room: the team is always above the individuals. “If I am the heart of the team, as the coach says, he is the one who thinks. It's flattering when a coach speaks highly of one’s self. But, I keep working with my usually tenacity and perseverance. But I think every player gives their all. I don't think about myself, but in always helping out the team,” he expressed.
