Antonio Hidalgo warns: Deportivo must be “very sharp without the ball” vs Levante

Antonio Hidalgo, Deportivo’s head coach, said on Thursday, ahead of facing Levante at Riazor, that his team must be “very sharp without the ball” against a side that—after Luis Castro’s arrival—has a “very clear idea of how to play.”

Hidalgo explained that Levante wants to pull opponents in, start with the ball, then place plenty of bodies in the last line. “We’ll have to stay tight… and have that dose of patience to find the moments to press,” he said in his press conference.

On Levante’s approach, he stressed that Castro has been doing “a great job” since coming in, highlighting the way they create superiority and attack spaces. He added that Zakaria Eddahchouri’s return is still far off: “there are still weeks to go.” He also pointed to Adama Traoré improving physically after dealing with the issue of not doing preseason with the group. Hidalgo finished by warning that in LaLiga, “everything penalizes you too much” if you’re not fully focused.