Martin Valjent, Leo Román, Vedat Muriqi and Jagoba Arrasate reflected on our 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid. Find out what our players and the boss had to say below:
Martin Valjent:
On the game: The ability to draw and, above all, the crowd's reaction was the best part of the match. We struggled in the first half, and we have to know how to suffer. We're left with the feeling of the crowd, the unity, the joy.
On the draw: We have to be aware that every mistake can cost us a potential victory. We have to be self-critical, pay more attention to details, be united, and have the desire to go after our first league win.
On levelling Ibagaza's appearences (275): It's an honour to be compared to such important players in the history of this club. I'm proud and want to continue improving for this club.
Leo Román:
On the game: The team was left wanting a little more. But we have to value the point because we were losing, and in the end, we managed to turn that around, get a valuable one, and move forward.
On the draw: It was difficult, but you could see the team is united, they worked very hard, and they never gave up. The moment you fall behind Atlético de Madrid, these are close games; it's very complicated, and any counterattack can kill you.
On Jan Virgili: We took advantage of our strength. I think Jan gave us a lot today. It's a great achievement that the kid came out with the attitude he did.
On the fans: I want to emphasise the support the fans showed. The unity the stadium showed us was a key factor.
Jagoba Arrasate:
On the point: Seeing that so many things have happened and we've had to make a huge effort, at least we have the reward of getting a point. If we look at the final stretch, it feels like too little; if we look at the first half, it feels like too much.
On match reading: There were many challenges within the game. Atlético were far superior to us, especially in that first half hour when Leo kept us in control. I think with the change of system, we were better; the game became more even.
On goal: We came from a very big setback on Monday, and today, conceding that goal can hurt even more. I saw that the team had energy, that they believed, and the fans did the same. And that's also very important: belief and faith.
On Muriqi and Jan: We have to take advantage of Muri's momentum, which is in the sweet spot. And from Jan, that's a bit of what we want: for him to have that self-confidence when he comes on. There will be days when it works out and days when it doesn't, but today was truly decisive. Kumbulla: He felt a twinge and we'll wait for the tests, but it looks like he has an injury.
Vedat Muriqi:
On scoring: Getting points against a team like Atlético Madrid is always good, but coming off a bad run is bittersweet. We hoped to win, we had the chance and didn't; a draw isn't enough when you look at the game in detail. Although scoring points is always better than losing.
On team reaction: The moment the opponents go down to 10 men, you hope to turn the game around, but they had a chance and scored, that's why they're Atlético Madrid. From my perspective, when I saw the score at 0-1, I was already thinking: wow, we're back in the same old Espanyol movie. In those 10 minutes, we reacted very well as a team, we dominated a team like Atlético, we had chances, and we scored. We have to be, not so much happy, as relaxed that we got a point ahead against a team like Atlético, and we're going for it on Wednesday.
On personal feelings: I'm comfortable, very happy. For a striker, scoring goals, even in a friendly, is always valuable; it gives you confidence. Now my confidence is at its peak, and I hope it doesn't stop there and continues to help my team score points and win matches.