Mendilibar: To beat the top sides, you have to perform very well & they've got to have an off day
The Eibar boss has named a squad featuring the 19 available players, with the injured Fran Rico and Nano missing out
José Luis Mendilibar today insisted that to beat one of the division's heavyweights, like Real Madrid, who are the visitors to Ipurua tomorrow, "you've have to perform very well and they've got to have an off day".
The Armeros' boss has named all 19 available members of the first-team squad, with the injured Fran Rico and Nano Mesa both missing out, whilst Florian Lejeune is suspended. Meanwhile, Asier Riesgo, David Juncà and Kike García are all fit to return to the fray following their respective injuries.
The squad list is as follows: Yoel, Riesgo, Capa, Arbilla, Ramis, Dos Santos, Gálvez, Luna, Juncà, Escalante, Dani García, Rivera, Adrián, Inui, Pedro León, Rubén Peña, Bebé, Sergi Enrich and Kike García.
In reference to Real Madrid, Mendilibar declared that, "They aren't playing well, they've said as much themselves", but "that doesn't mean anything when it comes to a team like Madrid, who without performing well still manage not to get beaten". "There are times when they can create chances in the blink of an eye. They'll come here in search of the three points because they've now lost the advantage that they had over the chasing pack. If they're to win La Liga they'll have to be putting three points on the board week in, week out".
"Whether you're able to compete against the top sides is all down to them. If they perform well, the rest of us are helpless to stop them." They create a lot of chances and if we're on our game, we might be able to make a quarter of the number they do.
"They've got some really fine players and when they're on form, they link up very well as a team, in addition to the individual talents that they've got. It'll be a really difficult game for us. If we're to come out on top we'll have to score more than once because it's so tough to prevent them from scoring".
In terms of the players who are unavailable for both sides for tomorrow's game, Mendilibar stated that, "We've never complained about not being able to pick certain players and I don't believe that they have either". "In each squad list since Christmas we've always been unable to name three or four injured players and there have no complaints from us".
When quizzed about the three-game touchline ban he has been handed after being sent to the stands on Tuesday night at Anoeta, the Eibar boss admitted that he is "hurting". "What bothers me is that I've been given a three-game ban for nothing".