Villarreal vs Osasuna preview - Submarine can survive - Lotina

Posted Saturday, April 28, 2012 by PA

Villarreal manager Miguel Angel Lotina believes his side have improved in recent weeks and is hoping their team spirit will ensure they survive in the Primera Division.

The Yellow Submarine have lost only once in seven games under Lotina and hold a six-point advantage over the bottom three with just four games to play, starting with the visit of Osasuna on Saturday.

And the coach told the club's website: "The team is conscious of how important this game is.

"From the first minute we have to fight and win it with the support of our fans. We need to be together and push them back because the three points are very important.

"I am very happy with the team. We have improved in some aspects and I see us as being more solid in every game.

"This gives me more hope and in these types of situations the most important thing is working hard and being together. That will make us a stronger team and give us more opportunities to win."

Lotina will be forced into at least one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad last time out as Jose Catala is suspended so Joan Oriol will return at left-back, while Nilmar is expected to start after being left on the bench in San Sebastian.

Osasuna, by contrast, are only a point off the European places and manager Jose Luis Mendilibar has insisted he isn't too concerned about his latest raft of injury problems as he has had to deal with them all season.

Sergio Fernandez remains on the sidelines, whilst Jon Echaide has undergone shoulder surgery just weeks after returning from a long-term injury.

But top scorer Raul Garcia will be available after completing his one-match suspension and Ibrahima Balde also returns after helping Senegal qualify for the Olympics last weekend.

Mendilibar told the club's website: "We are accustomed to these problems. Those that play will do well, throughout the whole season we have had problems at the back and we have known how to resolve them.

"We have trained well this week, with a spark, but then it is 11 against 11. I hope we can press them high up the field and spend more time in their half than in ours."