Julen Lopetegui on the touchline against Elche CF

JULEN LOPETEGUI: 'WE WERE CLEARLY THE BETTER TEAM IN THE SECOND-HALF AFTER THE EQUALISER'

28/08/2021

'We were good enough in the second-half to have won the game,' Lopetegui said

Sevilla FC manager Julen Lopetegui spoke to the media following the draw against Elche CF: 'We put in a good performance and let two points get away from us. We lost our focus for a moment in the first-half - it was an avoidable situation. They capitalised on the defensive error. After the equaliser, we were clearly the better team. We had chances to get a second but we didn't take them. When you don't take your chances, you won't come away with the win.'

The coach praised the team for how they reacted to Elche's goal: 'Before their goal, we had Óscar's chance which hit the post. They managed to score and we reacted well. We scored before the break which was important. We played well enough in the second-half to have won the game. We had various chances to score but we come away with a point.'

He also spoke about Thomas Delaney's debut: 'It wasn't an easy game, the pitch wasn't in great conditions. He was solid, made no errors and he helped us get through the end of the game.' Lastly, he analysed the international break: 'It is what it is - we will cross our fingers. Hopefully everyone comes back on time and in good shape to help us against Barcelona. It's the responsibility of football's governing bodies. If they don't travel, they will stay here and work with us.'