Published: 17:47, August 4, 2020 | Updated: 20:52, June 5, 2023
Getafe's Molina: Playing over a game advantageous over Inter
By Xinhua

In this Feb 15, 2020 photo, Barcelona's French defender Samuel Umtiti (left) challenges Getafe's Spanish forward Jorge Molina during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. (JOSEP LAGO / AFP)

MADRID - Getafe captain, Jorge Molina is hoping his side's form will have changed from the last 11 games of the La Liga season for their Europa League clash with Inter Milan on Wednesday night.

Getafe face the Italian giants in Germany as UEFA look to complete a European season affected by the coronavirus

Getafe face the Italian giants in Germany as UEFA look to complete a European season affected by the coronavirus, which put the brakes on Getafe's domestic season.

The team from the south of Madrid had been battling for a place in next season's Champions League before football was temporarily halted in Spain by the lockdown in mid-March and they were unable to recover their form when it returned in June, eventually finishing eighth to miss out on a place in Europe.

"That was hard; not winning games wears you out and we didn't win many after the break," said the 38-year-old.

"A lot of people think Inter are favorites as they have played until last weekend, but the fact is that a few days off for us have done us a lot of good to allow us to rest and to clear our heads. We have recovered," he added.

ALSO READ: Getafe offer fans free season tickets for next campaign

Nevertheless, Molina admitted that Getafe's rivals were "a great team and with one of the best squads in Europe, with players such as Alexis Sanchez, who is substituted a lot of the time, as well as (Christian) Eriksen and Diego Godin."

"They are favorites, but that won't mean that they start with a goal lead or any advantage," continued Molina, who also believes that playing the tie over one game in an empty neutral ground rather than on the traditional home and away basis, favors Getafe.

"They have a great squad and we could have more chances over just one game, but I still think it is ugly to play without fans and you never really adapt to it because supporters are the lifeblood of football," he concluded.