Wrexham game has ’emotional charge’ – Swansea boss Matos

Swansea City boss Vitor Matos says facing Welsh rivals Wrexham provides a different “emotional charge” compared to other Championship games.

The two sides face each other on Friday, 19 December at Swansea.com Stadium in the first league contest between the Swans and the Dragons since 2003 (20:00 GMT).

Despite a geographical distance over more than 100 miles between Swansea in south west Wales and Wrexham in the country’s north east, Matos insists he is treating the game as a derby.

“I think from what I feel from our supporters, I think we can call it a derby, straight on,” said Matos.

“It’s a game with a different emotional charge, but in these games we need that emotion and the passion to drive us forward and that I think that’s quite important.

“For that we need clarity, we need discipline, we need identity and that’s what we will need to focus on our game.

“We need to respect Wrexham. What they’ve done in the recent years, being promoted, and how they are doing this season as well.

“If we look back on the last 10 games, they have only lost one. So I think that deserves, like all teams, our respect and deserves a lot of credit.

“It will be a good game, 100%, and a game that we need to be on our toes to compete, and that’s really important.”