Igor Oca: “I'm proud to have won and to share this moment with our fans”

C.D. Leganés head coach Igor Oca held a press conference following Saturday’s match between the Pepineros and Albacete Balompié at Ontime Butarque Stadium, part of Matchday 35 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION, which ended in a 2-1 victory.

The coach offered the following assessment of the match:

Changes after halftime: "We were creating chances, but we were struggling to accelerate in the final third and put pressure on the opponent. Nothing was happening; they scored on us after a rebound from a set piece, and we went into halftime trailing without them really threatening us. We talked calmly and composedly; we had fifty minutes left, and we started with Álex’s quick goal and Juan’s relatively quick one as well. We handled the direct play situations they presented us with well.“

B Breathing room at the bottom of the tableB B : ”It’s about doing things right, turning situations around, and managing to come back—something we couldn’t do before. To feel secure, you have to pick up points yourself and hope the teams below you stop scoring. It’s not over yet. In the last five games, we’ve won two, drawn two, and lost one—in the final minute. That gives us peace of mind today, regardless of what our rivals do.“

Cissé: ”I hope it’s just a knock he picked up yesterday, which has caused him more discomfort. He asked to be substituted, but we understand it’s just a knock."

Dani Rodríguez: “We were going to try to count on him. He always gives his all, sometimes taking more risks to give everything for the team. We wanted to wait until the last minute to see if he could help, but it made sense that he wouldn’t be available. We’ll see if he’s ready for Las Palmas, which is coming up very soon.”

Own goal: "In such a competitive league, 40% of goals come from set pieces. Early on, we were defending well, but there were moments when we lost focus. We put points at risk because of this; we’re working on it, but we need to find the right approach.“

Management after the 0-1: ”We have to stay calm. We were closer, but the result was unsettling. We wanted to convey that this wasn’t the right approach—not to wait until the 90th minute—and then make two or three adjustments we thought were necessary. Those changes paid off, and we managed the final minutes well. You can have good moments, and at certain times we were having them. We wanted to be more aggressive in the final third, and we achieved that very quickly. From the 1-1 on, we were more dominant. We minimized their transitions and set-piece plays.“

Attacking players: ”I’m happy they’re contributing. Millán could have scored; I’m very happy about that. Diego came on to do the dirty work in the final minutes. Juan had a very good game, and Duk has been creating danger for several matches now.“

Leiva: ”I’m happy for him. The club and the fans really appreciate that. Today there were nearly 11,000 of us, and without them I don’t know if we would have pulled it off. We finished the match with Diego, Naim, Guirao, and Leiva. Players coming up from the youth academy—that’s essential for a club like ours. Leiva is a smart, very calm guy who listens closely to his teammates and adapts to the demands of the Second Division. He’ll keep learning and becoming a better player as he gets more playing time.“

Strong performance at home: ”I’m proud to win and share this with everyone on a daily basis and with the fans. When you win at home in front of nearly 11,000 people, it’s so much better. In such a competitive league, being strong at home can make things easier for us from here until the end of the season."