Montse Tomé: "We hope to connect to fans with our game"

The national coach, Montse Tomé, and the player, Laia Aleixandri, went over tomorrow's match against Sweden (19:00 on La 1) before the official pre-match training session on the pitch at La Rosaleda stadium (Málaga).

Montse Tomé is delighted to be playing at the stadium, which she hopes will be full of fans cheering on Spain: "We've been able to have a look round the stadium. I've never been here before and it's an ideal setting for tomorrow's game. For us to have a stadium like this full of our fan’s expectations is an added bonus. Let's hope the supporters enjoy themselves. I hope we play the kind of football that gets everyone out of their seats and that the fans can connect with the players.

She expressed satisfaction that the team had qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Nations League ahead of schedule: "We have to appreciate that we have qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Nations League with one game still to go, and that's positive.

Awaiting Spain in the next match is a Sweden side that is one of the strongest teams in the world, thankfully though, a side Spain beat in their previous meeting: "I'm expecting a strong Sweden. They are a physically intense team. We know Asllani. Both the defence and the midfield have players who can press the play and win back possession and are good at attacking the first or second ball. They're a strong team but we're going to go all out for the win.

Separately, Laia Aleixandri spoke about her return to the national team: "I have returned to a world championship winning squad, which brings maximum demands. I see it reflected everyday with Montse's confidence. I have to contribute and always try to give my best".

The centre-back explained that when it comes to matches like tomorrow's, the expectations are as high as possible and each player can do a lot of damage to their opponents: "We'll be playing against world class players and in an ideal setting. When we play against top quality teams, they know how to hurt us too".

Finally, she acknowledged that it is a source of pride to be able to play in a stadium like La Rosaleda, which will be packed with people chanting their names from the stands: "It's incredible just to hear the numbers that will come. It will hopefully be a special day for us and for the fans. We have our sights set on playing Sweden, which is going to be a tough game. You can almost cut the atmosphere with a night on occasions such as this one.