Marcelino, Villarreal’s coach, was relieved following his team’s 2-1 victory over Las Palmas.
Alex Baena and Ayoze Perez put the visitors ahead 2-0 but Manu Fuster scored late to set up a tense finish for Villarreal.
Marcelino admitted, “In the first-half we had a good first few minutes of the counterattack, but then we disappeared from the field; Las Palmas was better in the general exchanges of the first half, in which we were very lazy.”
Marcelino also lamented the “absurd ball losses” his team had after 0–2, including the one that resulted in Fuster’s goal for Las Palmas in the 84th minute “a very avoidable action” for which they were eventually forced to pay.
“They in the end have set up centres, with a defender as a forward and a lot of aerial play that we have been able to counteract well, with defence of five, but before we had a hard time, we were in a hurry and doubts,” he said.