Matteo Gabbia acknowledges that former Napoli defender Raul Albiol provided valuable assistance during his time at Villarreal, stating, “I had to learn new things.”
Gabbia made a return to Milan from his loan spell at Villarreal during the January transfer window to address the Rossoneri’s defensive injury crisis. He has been receiving regular playing time at San Siro and is anticipated to start in Thursday’s Europa League knockout playoff against Rennes.
“Right now, I am not too focused on what’s going on outside the field. I am focused on the pitch and what we have to do as footballers,” remarked the 24-year-old defender during a press conference, according to Milannews. “I am happy we are winning games and that the season is going well. This is the most important thing, and we want to continue.”
Assessing the upcoming match against Rennes, Gabbia expressed, “I think Rennes are a very good team. They play vertically, they have fast and dynamic players who can cause trouble for us. We have prepared the game well and we’ll give us all to win the game because our target is to qualify [for the Round of 16].”
Observing Gabbia’s increased confidence since his return to Milan, reporters inquired about his experiences in Spain. “It was the first time I went abroad and it was an important change,” he responded. “I had to be more audacious and learn new things that boosted my self-confidence. I played regularly and in a different way. There were a few things that helped me.”
Having partnered with Raul Albiol at Villarreal, Gabbia credited the veteran Spanish centre-back for his development. “Raul is one of those guys who really helped me at Villarreal,” Gabbia confessed. “He speaks Italian, so in the beginning, it was easier. He is a very nice guy, I am on good terms with him. He also contributed to my improvement.”
During his stint at Villarreal, Gabbia participated in 13 matches across various competitions before rejoining Milan last month. Since January, he has featured in six Serie A fixtures for the Rossoneri, netting one goal.
Matteo Gabbia
Matteo Gabbia
This season he played in total 6 times for 494 minutes for Europa League.
Matteo Gabbia didn’t score any goal for Milan. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 3rd in Europa League. In the last match Milan won 1-0 against Napoli.
Milan performance and stats
Milan
Milan will play the next match in Europa League against Rennes on Thursday 15th of February in Milano. The prediction is Milan winning the match.
Raúl Albiol
Raúl Albiol Tortajada
SpainThis season he played in total 19 times for 1460 minutes for La Liga.
Raúl Albiol didn’t score any goal for Villarreal. He procured no assists. He received 3 yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 13th in La Liga. In the last match Villarreal drew 1-1 against Deportivo Alavés. The next match in La Liga will be against Getafe.
Villarreal performance and stats
Villarreal
Villarreal is currently 13th in the La Liga with 25 points.
In the last 24 games, it has won 6 times, drawn 7 times, and lost 11 times. In its last match, Villarreal drawn 1-1 against Deportivo Alavés.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 34 goals and conceding 46.
Villarreal will play the next match in La Liga against Getafe on Friday 16th of February in Villarreal. The prediction is Villarreal winning the match.
