Mateo Gabbia issues verdict on Villarreal’s ‘important’ Granada win

Villarreal star Mateo Gabbia has been speaking about the importance of the three points picked up against Granada on Monday night.

The Yellow Submarine came out on top in a strange game that saw five goals scored in the first half and none in the second.

Villarreal raced into a three-goal lead thanks to a Gerard Moreno brace and an Alexander Sortloth strike, while Granada went on to pull it back to 3-2.

Pacheta’s men managed to protect that scoreline and secure on their third win in nine games across all competitions, now sitting six points above the drop and the same total off the top six.

Speaking after the Granada clash, defender Gabbia, who is on loan from AC Milan, said: “The match against Granada was very important and we approached it very well. Defending strongly, being dominant and taking the lead on the scoreboard.

“But we are a good team, with players involved with a lot of spirit and we gave everything to stop the rival’s momentum”.

Speaking of the importance of the win in terms of confidence, the centre-back added: “It was essential to make it three out with three points. The team mentally needed a victory like this one. It was a victory that we wanted to gain confidence and to climb up the standings.

“We are a good team, with good players. We know that and we must straighten our course in the standings, both for our self-esteem and for the fans”.