ANDn short t-shirt, observing seriously what happens on the grass, and without stopping gesturing and giving directions, this is how Jos Luis Mendilibar lived his first game as coach of Deportivo Alavs. It was not an easy company that awaited him in his first engagement, with one of the fittest teams in front, and with the coronavirus raging: up to four footballers who usually play minutes tested positive at Alavs, three of them just before the match. beginning. So much in the picture was the squad that Owono, goalkeeper of the subsidiary, played his first minutes with the Albiazul jacket for the first time in his life, due to the losses of Pacheco and Sivera, and he did not do it badly, by the way.
As if that panorama were not enough, the game was quickly turned upside down for Alavs. Goal in the fourteenth minute by Januzaj, a great goal. The same thing had caused a tremendous drop in the Alavs players against Rayo and Villarreal. In those two games, too, they fitted in early, and the results were catastrophic. Well, maybe it is the desire of the players to show the new coach what pasta they are made of, or maybe it is Mendilibar himself, who has infused them with that claw and that bad temper (well understood) that characterize him, but Alavs, for the first time in many days, did not lower his arms.
In fact, practically the opposite happened. After the goal, the footballers were revolutionized, like that animal that receives a wound, but quickly shakes itself off and returns to the charge. The Alavs did not cease in their efforts, which little by little brought more danger to Remiro’s goalkeeper. In the end, the insistence had its reward: lateral center (be it the Mendilibar style) looking for Miguel de la Fuente, and a penalty. Joselu was in charge of converting him, who else? The Galician has already scored ten goals, almost nothing.
After the draw, those from Vitoria did not back down, what’s more, they continued attacking, and for some moments they had the Royal Society in their area. Lejeune and Edgar were able to make the second, but finally the tie prevailed. A draw that some might think they don’t know quite well, especially after Getafe’s victory, but which many did not have (we had) two weeks ago. Mendilibar has claw, and, above all, he is very clear about what he wants, and as he was in charge of repeating himself in his presentation, it seems that if the players believe in Mendi, this story can have a beautiful ending.. For now, a game, a good point against a good rival. Not a bad start.
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