Luis García Plaza believes our season won’t be defined by the outcome of Sunday afternoon's hosting of UD Almería.
Our promotion rivals head into the Matchday 26 two points behind us in third-position, although the boss says he expects a tough test against a side which shares many similarities with his own tactical preferences.
"We're going to have to run a lot when we don't have the ball but when we have the ball we have to make them run," he told journalists via remote press conference. "Whoever can impose their style is going to have more chances of winning. The team is feeling good. The game against Almeria is not a final, there will be many games left and there’s still a lot to play for.
“Almeria is the team that most resembles us. They want to play out from the back, they take more risks - like us - and we play the most eye-catching football in the league. We’re the two teams that use the combination play the most. They’re more physical and we have more mobility, that's what differentiates us.”
With a long way still to go this season, García gave his thoughts on the push for promotion at this stage in the campaign.
"We've taken nine out of 12 points in the second half of the season, which is excellent, but in our minds there is only one thing: winning,” he continued. “When a game is over, we’re already thinking about the next one.”
"We’re top of the league, and for the first time we feel that way. We’re not afraid. It's going to be a great game. Whatever happens on Sunday, it's going to be a long one. I don't think any of the top three will get as many points as they did in the first half of the season. These are three points just the same as all the others. To go straight up we're going to have to have an incredible season."
