Pombo: “We need to play to our strengths and give everything we have to win the game”

Speaking to the club’s in-house media team ahead of Sunday’s clash with Sevilla, Cádiz attacker Jorge Pombo started by discussing how he is getting to grips with a division as tough as LaLiga Santander. “I’m really happy, I feel good,” the 26-year-old said. “It’s Primera División, so it’s a step-up, a whole new ball game. It’s a case of working hard on the training ground and giving your all in every game. Physically, I feel stronger than ever.”

Asked about his adaptation to life at Cádiz after joining from Real Zaragoza in January, Pombo said: “It was strange for me, because it was the first time I’d left Zaragoza. I struggled to settle to begin with, because I’d been playing a different brand of football and, as we all know, changing from one place to another isn’t always easy. This season is a fresh start. I know what the gaffer and the team want, I know my team-mates, and I’m raring to do my bit for the boys in every game. I’ll need to be firing on all cylinders.”

Playing on the left is a role that Pombo likes. “It’s a position I really enjoy; I look to really get at the opposition,” he explained. “I have licence to drift into central areas and receive the ball there, as well. It’s a position where you also have to help out the full-back a lot, though. Our game plan is clear: defend first, then attack. I feel really comfortable in this role.”

Sevilla will arrive at the Carranza having also played Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup on Thursday. “Hopefully they’ll be feeling a little bit leggy,” Pombo said, “but they’re a top side who are used to playing in midweek too. They’ll be coming here all out to win what is their first LaLiga game of the season. We’ll have home advantage and the knowledge that they’ve had a game three days beforehand. We’ll do everything in our power to get the points.”

Above all else, Pombo vowed, Cádiz will compete. “Osasuna and Huesca are teams we’ve played against in Segunda in recent times, but they’re good sides all the same. Sevilla are maybe at a higher level than them - but, just like any other match, this is a game where we have to go out there focused on our task. We have to give our all regardless of the team we’re up against. We need to play to our strengths and give everything we have to win the game.”