Valverde: "All the matches are important now"
Valverde: "All the matches are important now"
Valverde believes Athletic can get a result on Sunday as long as they are "solid in defence and accurate in attack"
Athletic Club head coach Ernesto Valverde said Los Leones are at a point in the season where "every match is important" as the rush for points begins to pick up.
Los Rojiblancos take on Real Madrid in Bilbao on Sunday night (21:00), a fixture the gaffer described as a "LaLiga classic".
"It's always a test for us to play Real Madrid, and also for them because they know coming to San Mamés is complicated," Valverde said at a pre-match press conference on Saturday morning.
"There is a different atmosphere in this type of game. Not only in the dressing room, but also among the fans. It's a special game."
Valverde admitted Real Madrid will be tough opposition for Athletic. Los Blancos are currently second in the table behind rivals FC Barcelona.
He said: "We're facing an opponent that, along with FC Barcelona, has achieved the most points away from home.
"They've scored the most goals, also away from home, and they attack with a lot of quality and efficiency. They have enough to win any game, even when you think it's close, so you can never be complacent."
The boss made it clear his team can get a positive result as long as they are "solid in defence and accurate in attack".
He added: "We're an insistent side. We're going to leave everything out there on the pitch and I think we've been pretty consistent in terms of our performances up until now."
The head coach also assessed Los Leones' upcoming visit to Mestalla, where they'll play Valencia CF in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
"They were finalists last year. We've already played against them at San Mamés and we know how difficult it was to win. They have a different approach this season, playing with joy and always going forward," he said.
"At the moment, they're below us in LaLiga, but it's not meaningful. It will be an evenly-matched and difficult tie for both teams. They have home advantage. It's a repeat of last season's semi-final in one leg. We have to go and win because it's winner-takes-all."