Valverde: “These are three very important points”

Athletic Club head coach Ernesto Valverde has said the Lions collected three vital points and an important confidence boost with their 1-2 victory over Almería at the Power Horse Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

A Nico Williams strike plus a classy Óscar de Marcos finish helped move Los Rojiblancos to within one point of sixth-placed Villarreal, who face Sevilla FC on Sunday night.

"There are only a few games left and picking up three points is very important for everyone," Valverde said after the match.

"We have won three matches in a row since being knocked out of the Copa. Winning today was fundamental for everyone to be committed so that in this final stretch we can get into those European places. We need our fans to see we want to be there."

Despite a solid performance in which Athletic dominated almost from start to finish, the Zurigorri let Almería back into the match with a stoppage-time goal, something which Valverde believes the side need to keep working on.

He said: "There were many dangerous situations we should have dealt with more effectively so as not to suffer at the end. If you don't score, the opposition always have a chance to hurt you. You have to take advantage of your chances, and that's where we have to improve."