Paco López: "We'll have to do things very good in order to win at Eibar"

C.D. Leganés head coach Paco López spoke this Friday in the press conference prior to the match that the pepinero team will play on Saturday (16:15) at Ipurua against S.D. Eibar, corresponding to Matchday 11 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
The coach assessed the team’s situation before the match as follows:

What he expects from the match: "Without resorting to the usual cliché, we’re going to face a team that hasn’t yet lost at home, which shows Eibar’s potential. They are a team with many resources, they’ve strengthened their attacking options compared to recent years, and they remain that aggressive, intense team that presses well. If we want to win, we know we have to do things very well—match their intensity and be accurate. Ultimately, we have to do a better job than Eibar."
Left‑backs: "Franquesa won’t be available yet; he needs a few more days and we’ll see if he can make it for Wednesday. Marvel will be available. The only certain absences are Pulido and Enric. Some players have minor discomfort and we’ll decide at the last moment."
Forwards: "It’s always good for them to start scoring. I’ve never had doubts and I’ve always said the same—I’m convinced the goals will come, whether from the strikers, the wide players, or the second line. The important thing is that, collectively, the team creates chances and we try to be effective in the opposition box, which is what has been costing us the most recently."
Home and away performances: "It’s difficult to make such a general analysis. Our play has been very similar, and in some home matches even better than in some away ones. Giving a simple explanation is hard. Everything changes constantly, and what matters is that the team has clear ideas, competes at the same level as the opponent, and maintains its winning mentality."
Seven out of nine points: "Not much has changed in the dressing room. You play to win, and when results are positive it reinforces positive emotions. We relate much more to the performance than to the final score, and we try not to let results create emotional swings."
Juan Cruz: "He’s improving in terms of physical condition—which was what he was lacking—and in every other aspect. He feels more and more comfortable. What matters is that players are happy and feeling good. Juan looks very well, and that will reflect in his play. He’s an intelligent player, and we want him to understand where he can hurt the opponent the most. Now he’s playing with Rubén Peña—what matters is how they coordinate. Having players like him helps solve certain situations and make good decisions, but there isn’t a fixed instruction regarding his position. We give him that well‑understood freedom to make the right choices."
Marvel: "He’s a lad who plays with very good, well‑managed intensity and aggression. He’s very competitive, young, with a big margin for improvement. He gives us options to play as a third centre‑back or as a full‑back without changing our structure. He’s helping us. What matters is that the players keep improving."
4‑4‑2: "My idea is that we understand how the game develops. You start with one structure, but the most important thing is understanding the flow of the match. That’s why players who offer variety—like Juan Cruz, who can play wide or inside depending on the moment—are very useful. That gives us tactical richness, and it adds value to the player. We want the team to be flexible, not stuck in a fixed structure, and to know where it’s best to be in every moment of each match."
Message of demand: "I sensed at certain moments of the match that we were struggling to be ourselves. That sense of obligation can sometimes affect the players, but we embrace the Leganés project. It doesn’t bother me at all. And we also notice rivals see us as one of the favourites. But we only want to be favourites in one thing: in our work, in our ambition, in growing as a team and becoming better. That’s what will lead us to success, and it’s the smartest approach. To reach the top, you can’t be constantly looking up—otherwise you fall. Our focus is exclusively on improving, on working, on being better than the opponent we will face."