Valverde: “We have a great opportunity”
Valverde: “We have a great opportunity”
With three LaLiga fixtures left to go and European qualification on the line, Ernesto Valverde is confident of securing a crucial win against Osasuna
An Athletic Club victory against CA Osasuna at El Sadar on Thursday night (21:30 CEST) would be an important step towards European qualification, according to Ernesto Valverde.
Los Leones are seventh in LaLiga Santander - the Europa Conference League spot - one point ahead of Girona and have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Osasuna are just three points behind Athletic in 10th.
"The three points would mean a lot. We have a great opportunity," Valverde said at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening.
"It's an important week for us and for the Club. We've reached the point where there's no margin for error and we're playing for everything. It is the final stretch and we'll try not to fail.
"If we win all three games we'll finish seventh. The first step is tomorrow, the rest is guesswork. It's about always getting to this point and being in the fight. That's what we've done."
The Lions go up against hard-working Osasuna for the fourth time this season and Ernesto expects a complicated match against the Pamplona-based outfit.
He said: "They're a team that plays at a high tempo, who always go forward and always go for you. It will be a tough game and we have to try to contain them. The team that manages to do that will be the winner."