Takefusa Kubo struck the only goal of the game as La Real won 1-0.
And Marcelino said afterwards: “The goal came from a mistake but also from a great play by a great footballer. You have to give credit to a player who takes the ball far from the goal, gets past two rivals and finishes so well. We were only inferior in the result, which is the most important thing.
“We played at a higher level. I think they only surpassed us in the last ten minutes of the first half. They were one hundred percent effective. They conceded little and we created enough for them to score a goal. The result is fair because it is what it is, but it is unfair because of the merits on the field, I value the rival’s distinctive feature in the goal.
“There is a decisive player in this action. But I analyze the general scenario and we will agree that Villarreal did not deserve to lose. “
Marcelino also stated: “The coach has to make decisions. New year, new life. We continue with the figures we had in 2024 because that is not enough for us. We are 5th and we are the second highest scoring team in the category. And that is not enough. We make decisions and look for answers to everything that has penalized us enormously.
“Real is the opposite case: 11 blank sheets and with very few purposes, that allows us to have two themes. We know where we want to reinforce because we do it very well and where we want to correct, and behind that we have to correct. Today we defended very well. They scored a goal against us that only came with a shot from outside the area. We played and competed at this level, it is a reason to be very optimistic.