The Cádiz CF coach, Gaizka Garitano, spoke to the media in the stadium’s press room after the victory against Granada.
Match analysis.
"This victory is very important against a great rival, one of the best teams in the league. It was a competitive match where we took advantage of their mistake and then managed it 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 to prepare for next week’s game and try to win in Tenerife to continue improving our position."
Competing in the league.
"We had good moments with the ball and took twice as many shots as they did. Naturally, after our goal, they had more initiative. They have very good attacking players, and containing them is not easy. Right now, we have key absences on the wings, which makes it difficult because, as the match progresses, we don’t have offensive changes to refresh that area. Matos is doing an extraordinary job in a position he has never played before."
Melendo.
"He is a player I like a lot. He was injured for many 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 suffered a lot with his injury. If he stays fit, we will use him more and more, 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 been preparing very well and training hard. He is very important in the locker room. He played well the other day and deserved to play today. I don’t like to take out a player who deserves to continue playing."
Key aspects since my arrival.
"I’m very proud of this group, which has understood very well that in this league, you have to work, push, and compete. Playing and competing are not the same, and for a while now, we have been competing. We are a solid and recognizable team, and that is the most important thing."
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 being at the bottom to the top six requires a huge number of points. If we want to get there, we have to keep winning. It’s not easy, but we will try. I love having high expectations."
Moussa Diakité.
"The change was due to his yellow card and Ramadan, which has physical consequences. We have to take care of him because he is not at 100% right now to play 90 minutes, and that, combined with the yellow card for a player who 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. Every time I’ve come here as a coach, the fans have made it a tough place to win, and we have to maintain that. The fans help us a lot, and that’s an advantage we cannot afford to lose."