Every word of Renée and Russo's pre-Madrid presser

Ahead of tomorrow's UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, Renée Slegers held a press conference alongside Alessia Russo.

Our head coach and striker fielded questions from the media on the important clash in Madrid (KO: 5.45pm UK).

Here is everything they had to say:

Renée on who travelled with the squad…

We've travelled with 23 players, and Lotte Wubben-Moy and Daphne van Domselaar didn't travel.

Renée on what she’s expecting from Real Madrid…

I think they're a very strong collective. They have a strong identity, they look disciplined in their game, both in and out of possession. And I think they have some key threats with a couple of individuals in their team that we really want to try and stop tomorrow.

Renée on coverage and options at right-back…

We have 25 players in the building right now. I have big belief in the squad that we have, the players that we have in the building and I'm happy we found a place for Laura. She's on loan. She's doing well. So, we'll be in touch with her again and assess after the season. But also knowing that we have different options in different positions. I think I've been talking about that before. I think versatility is important in all positions.

For example, the player that we brought on last Friday night against Everton is Lina. She had trained there, she has the speed, the physicality and there was only a couple of minutes left of the game with Everton scoring a 1-1 goal against us last season from a corner. So, she also has the qualities from a set-piece perspective. So, there's a lot to it. And we have plenty of options on all positions and we just look at what qualities do we need here and now in this game to be able to win the game.

Alessia on how the team are feeling ahead of the game…

I'm really excited, it's my first quarter-final game in the Champions League, so, I'm really looking forward to it. The squad's in a good place. Obviously, we had a positive result on Friday, and then we've seen a lot of each other this week, travelling and playing games. So, we're in a good place as a team.

Renée on Laia Codina’s fitness levels…

She's been managing some minor problems, so that's why [she's missed some matchdays]. Codi is an important player for us and she's with us now. She's been on the pitch, so that's great. So, she's back, coming back from managing a couple of problems.

Renée on Kyra Cooney-Cross’ versatility in midfield…

We want to play players to their strengths, as many as possible that we have on the pitch at that moment in time. And then it's always also dependent on what the opposition does and where we see spaces for us and what players we want in what spaces to play to their strengths. So, hence why it looked like it looked last Friday, and it doesn't always look like that. It depends on what we want to do in the game.

Renée on the length of time between matches in the Champions League…

We want to be active in as many competitions as possible. We want to play as many games as possible and mas any at the end of the season because that's when the business happens. So, we've been waiting for this game for a long time, but obviously we've been playing a lot of competitive games and we've been in the here and now and trying to do our best in those competitions. But we're happy that we're finally here again.

Alessia on Mariona Caldentey’s impact in the squad…

She's been great since she's come in, I feel like I learn a lot from her too. She's obviously a world-class player and a person too; if you need anything, she's there. I like to talk football with her because she comes from a completely different style and culture of football than I have growing up in England. But she’s been great, and you can see her qualities all over the pitch and I really enjoy playing with her.

Renée on whether Mariona and Codina have shared their past experience against Real Madrid…

I’ve been talking to Codina and Mariona to get some information because they've been playing against them many times. They know what it's like, they know what the circumstances are like, what the stadium is like, and what kind of football they play. There are some things that you can't always see on tactical footage, so they have some more detail, which is great. So, they've been part of the process leading into this game.

And Mariona, she's a total footballer for me, she's got everything. I think she's got the intelligence and technical abilities. She's got an extremely high work rate, she's a winner. So, I'm very impressed with her. She brings a lot to our environment, like all our players do. So, all players will contribute with qualities to our environment and to our culture and Mariona is definitely one of them.

Alessia’s on her confidence ahead of this game…

I always say I play my best football when I'm happy. I'm enjoying the games at the moment, I just can't wait for the games to come around. Especially nights like tomorrow night. I just feel happy and valued within the team, which is always nice. I'm just trying to get the best out of myself and help how I can get the best out of others too. It's just nice to play football at the moment.

Renée on how the team have changed since she took over…

The foundations were already there. You don't build a team overnight; it's been built through years and everything that the club has done to be able to be world-leading with their women's team. That's all heritage that I'm happy to receive. I was a part of Jonas’ staff as an individual assistant coach, and I enjoyed my time. I think we did a lot of things really well already, but since my role changed, we've tried to emphasise a couple of things. It's about where you put the emphasis and the small things you want to change, how you want to get the best out of us.

A big thing for me is culture. I think we all know that we're great footballers. We're a great team, but also for me, culture is very important to get the maximum out of all individuals and get everyone going in the same direction.

Renée on our defence and midfield in the transition…

That's a very detailed question. Of course, we want to be very good on the ball and we want to position well. At the same time, we think forward intent is very important, so we always look to play forward. When we're on the ball, we always think about how we protect in case we lose the ball.

Counter-pressure is important, but also how we position ourselves behind the ball. We pride ourselves on clean sheets. Defensive solidity is very important for us. We do our best to be able to protect the opposition from getting chances.

Alessia on whether she has her eyes on the Golden Boot…

No, not at all. I think our goal as a team is to keep progressing in this competition. I think when you come and you sign for Arsenal, you understand the legacy of the club and the history of their successes in winning trophies.

I want to be a part of that with this club and I want to keep pushing and keep winning trophies because knowing from past trophies in previous tournaments, there's nothing like winning a trophy with a team for a certain event.

Renée on what she’s made of Real Madrid…

They're a top team and they will want to come back from those performances. I think Barcelona vs Real Madrid is always going to be a tough game for both teams. I think they made some changes last Saturday.

They're probably not happy with the two points lost. I'm guessing they will be determined and try to come out in their home arena to do their best. We can't think about that because it's not within our control and we don't want to underestimate anything. We're very humble for the task, but at the same time, we also feel confident about who we are and what football we can play.

Alessia on her experience of playing individuals at Real Madrid…

I think any time you come up against a team in a big game, you want to win and that winning mentality is there probably more than ever. And I think, yeah, we have experiences against these players, but it's just how can we use that to our advantage at times. No revenge, but looking forward to playing our football out here in Madrid.

Alessia on playing against Caroline Weir…

Yeah, I mean, she's a top player. I played against her a few times throughout her time at the WSL. Like Renée mentioned before, we know that they've got a lot of top players who can cause harm, but so do we. And we're going to do our best to nullify it and focus on our strengths going forward.

Alessia on what she’s looking forward to most…

It’s a Champions League night. As a player, I don't think it gets much better.

Renée on using Laia Codina and Mariona Caldentey’s input…

Like I said, we use their input ahead of the game. We've been talking to them and listening to them. So they've already had great value going into the game. And then, of course, I won't tell you anything about how we're going to start tomorrow.

Renée on Madrid being fast on the break…

There are a lot of considerations. We’re always looking at personnel but there's also how we position ourselves and where we choose to attack and where we put the emphasis. So there's a lot of things to it, but you're right on that one. They will come with a lot of threat and speed on the wing.

Renée on what she’s looking forward to most…

Like Alessia, I've never played in the Champions League. I've coached in the group stage, but I've never coached in the quarter-finals. So I look forward to it. I'm happy I'm on this journey with Arsenal and I have a big belief in who we are and who we can be in the future.

Tomorrow night is going to be a beautiful night of football, hopefully. And we're going to do our best to put ourselves in a good position for the home game. I'm just really looking forward to seeing Arsenal play.

Alessia on whether the match gives her goosebumps…

Yeah. If you'd have said when I was a kid that this game would be coming around tomorrow, I think I wouldn't have believed you.

Alessia on specifics she’s worked on this season…

I always try and work on things throughout the season and just throughout time in general. I still feel like there's lots that I want to work on and lots that I want to keep getting better at. But yeah, I feel like in the nine, I probably didn't understand to begin with how much work and how much there is to learn through the position.

And I think the older you get, the cleverer you get with the position in the sense that it's all tiny moments and fine margins. But yeah, I'm enjoying myself, I'm enjoying learning and I want to keep working hard.

Renée on whether coaching in the Champions League knockouts was a personal goal of hers…

No, that's not a personal goal. I just feel like I'm a part of this team and I want to be a part of this team because I believe in who we are and where we want to go. So I'm really happy that we are in this place as a team at the moment. And of course, I need to play my role really well tomorrow. I just want the best for the team and I'm here to support and lead that and direct that in the best way.

Alessia on how amazing it would be to win the Champions League…

We were really disappointed to go out of the FA Cup. We reflected on it and we put on a good performance in the following game against Everton. And this game coming up tomorrow is another chance for us to keep building and showing what Arsenal are about.

I have full confidence in the players and the staff around the team and I know we can go on to achieve great things. So yeah, it is one game at a time. But right now, we're really fully focused on Madrid and then moving forward.