Lisci demands ‘acceleration’ as osasuna climb off the bottom

Osasuna, fueled by a hard-fought victory over Sevilla, have climbed to 42 points, but Alessio Lisci is demanding a significant shift in strategy as they navigate the final stretch of the season.

A tightrope walk to european football

The Italian coach, speaking after the 2-1 win at El Sadar, acknowledged the precarious position – a desperate bid for European qualification looms in the final five games. It wasn’t a comfortable performance; a 60th-minute setback ignited a period of intense pressure, ultimately overcome with a late surge. ‘The work never lies,’ he stated bluntly, ‘things ultimately come out.’

Lisci emphasized the need to ‘accelerate,’ highlighting the immense pressure of battling relegation alongside teams vying for European berths. “We’re playing against teams that are either leading the league or fighting to avoid the drop,” he explained, a sentiment reflecting the brutal intensity of La Liga’s relegation battle. ‘It’s proving incredibly difficult to compete this year.’

A gamble on momentum

The narrow win, secured thanks to a late equalizer, provided a crucial lifeline. Lisci clearly recognizes the importance of capitalizing on this momentum, urging his squad to recreate the intensity displayed against Real Madrid – a result that will be crucial when they host Barcelona next Saturday. “We really don’t know what we’re playing for, because if we lose we’ll be in the fight to avoid relegation.”

Closing the gap – virtually

More than European aspirations, Lisci insists on securing the club’s survival as the immediate priority. ‘We need to give a lot of value to closing the permanence virtually,’ he said, acknowledging the challenging season that saw a gradual improvement culminating in this current position. The margin for error is vanishing. The stakes, quite simply, couldn’t be higher.