Monchi during Sevilla FC's training in Cluj

MONCHI: "WINNING HERE WOULD GIVE US THE CONFIDENCE BOOST WE NEED"

20/02/2020

Monchi warned that Cluj have been playing very well at home this season

On the morning of the encounter against CFR Cluj, Monchi spoke to the media: "In the group stages, you have a certain margin of error, although not much. However, now that we're in the knockout stages, there's basically no room for mistakes and any mistake could cost you dearly". In addition, he didn't want to talk about neither the temperature nor the state of the pitch: "We have to only think about what we're going to do. The weather is what is is, the pitch isn't going to change and we have to be at our best, which is exactly what this competition demands of you".

Monchi is aware that a win tonight would prove vital for many reasons: "When you go through a bad spell, you need a lever or a springboard to get you going again. A good result here would give us the confidence boost we need".

Finally, he spoke about the opponents: "This season, the only game they've lost at home was to Slavia Prague in the Champions League qualifying rounds. They've beaten Rennes, Celtic and Lazio here; and are top of their league. At their ground it'll be very even. They demand a lot of you and they'll test you to your limits. They might not have the name of other teams in the competition, but their performances this season is what matters, and we'll have to be at our best to compete with them".