Cádiz CF coach Gaizka Garitano spoke to the media in the stadium’s press room after the win against Granada.
Match analysis.
"This victory is very important against a great opponent, one of the best teams in the league. It was a tight match where we capitalized on their mistake and then managed the game perfectly. It’s remarkable that they didn’t have a single shot on target. The team played without making any errors throughout the match. I’m very happy with the team’s work."
Second consecutive clean sheet.
"We focus on winning every match, and that brings us closer to the top and further from the bottom. I’m not going to look at the standings—I know we’re better than last week. My priority is preparing for next week’s game and trying to win in Tenerife to continue improving our position."
Competing in the league.
"We had good phases with the ball and took twice as many shots as they did. Naturally, after scoring, they had more initiative. They have very strong attacking players, and containing them is not easy. Right now, we have key absences on the wings, making it difficult because as the match progresses, we don’t have offensive substitutions to refresh that area. Matos is doing an extraordinary job in a position he has never played before."
Melendo.
"I really like him as a player. He has been injured for months and is still in the process of regaining his rhythm. Today he played 65 good minutes, and I’m very happy to have him back because he has suffered a lot with the injury. We will use him more and more if he can maintain his physical form, as he is an important player."
Zaldua.
"Joseba is a soldier. He has been in Iza’s shadow for a long time, but he has prepared very well and trained hard. He is very important in the dressing room. The other day he played well and deserved to play today. I don’t like to take out a player who deserves to keep playing."
Key aspects since my arrival.
"I’m very proud of the group we have. They have understood very well that in this league, you have to fight, push, and compete. Playing and competing are not the same thing, and for a while now, we have been competing. We are a solid and recognizable team, and that is what matters."
Excitement among the fans.
"I love that we are creating excitement. We work day by day. We came from a relegation situation, and to move from the bottom to the top six requires a huge effort in terms of points. If we want to reach that level, we must keep winning. It’s not easy, but we will try. I love having high expectations."
Moussa Diakité.
"The substitution was due to his yellow card and Ramadan, which has physical effects. We have to take care of him because he is not currently at 100% to play 90 minutes. That, combined with his playing style—where he goes for every ball—led us to make the change, and it worked out well."
Improvement at home.
"In this league, you have to be very strong at home because winning away is very difficult. Whenever I’ve come here as a coach, the crowd has made it a tough place to win. We need to maintain that. The fans help us a lot, and that is an advantage we cannot afford to lose."