Valverde: “The pressure to need to win suits us”
Valverde: “The pressure to need to win suits us”
The gaffer fielded question from the press before Athletic's LaLiga match against Getafe CF
Ernesto Valverde is confident Athletic Club can make the most of "the pressure to win" and return to form in order to chase down Atlético Madrid in the race for a Champions League slot.
With just five matches remaining, and Atlético six points ahead, the Lions take on Jose Bordalas' Getafe CF at the Coliseum on Friday night (21:00 CEST).
"Our aim has always been to challenge for that fourth place," Valverde said at a pre-match press conference on Thursday evening.
"Athletic will be in Europe next sesaon for sure, that's what's going to happen. But we want to win our remaining matches, feel good, go for fourth place and not lose ground to those chasing us.
"First we have to win tomorrow's match and then we'll see about the rest. We have to feel that pressure to win and push ourselves to our limit. That suits us. We want to get back to winning ways after four matches without a victory."
Beating Getafe on the road will be no mean feat. Bordalas' side are currently 10th in the standings with 43 points and have lost just once in their last five LaLiga matches.
Valverde said: "Getafe won't hand us anything and we won't give them anything either. They make things difficult, press from the first minute to the last, are strong in duels and force mistakes.
"They never give up and they're brave, the kind of team that stands up to you and goes toe to toe. It's going to be a strong match, as is always the case there, but we'll fight for every ball."