Valverde: "We lost a very important match"

Ernesto Valverde gave an honest appraisal of Athletic Club's loss against Real Betis, admitting it was a fixture in which his team had "placed high hopes".

Despite having several chances to equalise, Los Rojiblancos struggled to recover after Willian José put the visitors ahead in the sixth minute.

"We lost a very important game and one in which we placed high hopes," Valverde said during his post-match press conference. "They played well in the first half, despite the fact that we had a lot of chances, making it difficult for us to play our game.

"We conceded an early goal from a rebound in the box. Then in the second half, we pushed higher up the pitch, taking a lot of risks, but we weren't able to score a goal.

"It's something we've seen during other matches. We get to certain areas well, but we lack precision and that's what's punishing us"

The gaffer believes his side need to play with a bit more confidence and patience, saying: "Sometimes we rush things. It's as if sometimes, we want to make the next move before we've finished the previous one. When we get to the final third, we need to be a bit more cool-headed at certain moments."