Quique backs Alavés point at San Mamés: “11 points at the first break”

Alavés coach Quique Sánchez Flores praised the point his side earned at San Mamés against Athletic Club, insisting that taking anything from Bilbao is always hard. As he told the media, after a strong start the team had suffered “two consecutive defeats” and felt “a bit of sadness”, but in this match they recovered “the good sensations” and managed to keep the result.

11 points by the break

Quique pointed to the context of the season, noting: “Who would have told us we’d arrive at the first break with 11 points—I wouldn’t have believed it.” He said the team’s confidence is back and underlined squad depth: “In this squad, everyone counts.” He also stressed that changes from the previous matches helped, and that while Athletic sometimes pulled them into a low block, Alavés were able to hold firm “with solvency”, per MARCA.

Defensive job done

On performance details, the coach said Alavés did the defensive work they needed: “We did the defensive job we had to do.” He admitted they would have liked more “outlet play”, but argued that the last two games had slipped due to defensive problems—something they corrected in San Mamés. He added that the team was “very prepared” for the duels and for looking after “every detail”.

He also assessed the Athletic: he said the most dangerous chance was the penalty, while Alavés were “comfortable” and “decisive” in duels. Quique specifically noted they made things difficult for Nico and Sancet, and finished by highlighting Athletic’s physical strength and their “extraordinary” setup, concluding that they’re happy to return from a derby with points, according to MARCA.