Victor Fernandez has praised Deportivo La Coruna for displaying the resolve needed to earn themselves a ‘crucial’ point at Cordoba last night.
The Galicians were forced to play with 10 men for over an hour following Helder Postiga’s dismissal on 29 minutes, but they emerged with a 0-0 draw thanks to Federico Cartabia’s missed penalty and some dogged defending.
“A crucial point was rescued. We absorbed a lot of pressure, and in the end, it was balanced by Cordoba’s inability to score,” the ex-Porto and Zaragoza boss told reporters after the match.
“We played for over an hour with 10 men, but we did some superb defensive work. The rear guard was shut, and they played impeccably.
“[With 11 men] we did very well because we created chances in the first 10 minutes, but we certainly weren’t able to push much after that, as the red card was a blow which ruined our game plan.
“Neither team had the strength to unbalance the score at the end. We’d been depleted but were still solid.”
Fernandez then explained that the key to survival in La Liga is maintaining composure, although he admitted that sides struggling near the foot of the table are constantly fighting a losing battle with richer clubs.
“He who does not go crazy and withstands the pressure will be the one who survives. It’s an endurance [of one’s mettle],” the trainer added.
“It’s very important that we get points, as there will be six or seven teams fighting down the bottom, Cordoba included.
“It’s very difficult for these clubs to do much else due to the imbalance of Spanish football.”
