Girona Coach Says ‘Magic’ Needed to Defeat Liverpool

Girona coach Michel Sanchez says his team needs “magic” from fans at their tiny Montilivi stadium to beat Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Catalan minnows, playing in the competition for the first time, welcome the Premier League leaders, who lead the European group table with a 100% record.

Girona, on the other hand, is 30th with four losses in five games and fighting for survival.

“We will have to run more than ever, but we can do it, of sure,” Sanchez told reporters.

“They dominate in every manner, therefore we must think about ourselves, be ourselves, and provide our best.

“We will see, with the atmosphere that we have to create… we need the magic of Montilivi to make history.”

UEFA regulations reduce Girona’s already tiny capacity to under 10,000 seats for European competition. The few lucky fans inside the stadium will see Sanchez’s long-awaited match.

“For me it means a lot, it was a dream as a player, I played in the Europa League with Rayo (Vallecano), reaching the quarter-finals and Liverpool were there as well,” he said.

Rayo were eliminated in the last eight by Alaves, whom Liverpool overcame in the 2001 final 5-4.

“We always sang ‘Next year Rayo vs Liverpool’ at Rayo—the fantasy.

“I wanted this opponent once we entered the Champions League. It will be a special day for Girona, the club, the players, and the fans.

“We have to enjoy it and compete at 100 percent.”

Sanchez revealed his ambition was to beat Liverpool 1-0 with Cristhian Stuani’s 90th-minute winner. The coach said his team would aim to stop Mohamed Salah and advised them to be careful after losing the ball.

“There is always the possibility of controlling a player, every team tries to do that — (Salah) is in incredible form,” he said.

“The data says that we are a team that defends well, but there are times when we stop doing it, like in transition and that is where Liverpool are the best team in the world.”