Valverde: “This win says a lot about our squad depth”

Athletic Club head coach Ernesto Valverde praised his players' heart and desire after they picked up three points on the road "in a match we knew would be difficult".

After a tough first 45, second-half strikes by Dani Vivian and Iñaki Williams saw Athletic win 0-2 against CD Leganés at Butarque.

“We didn't get what we wanted in the first four games. This was an important week for us," Valverde said after the match.

"We beat Las Palmas and then won again here. This win says a lot about our squad depth and puts us in a good position for the Europa League. We still have the Celta game left this week and we want to finish it off well.

"No team wants to feel the pressure to win. We know that every match is a struggle, we have to be humble, respect our opponents and approach matches with the mindset everyone is equal.

"Sometimes everything changes because of a rebound like today, you just have to look for it."

The boss made all five subs before the hour-mark as he searched for a breakthrough. The move paid off with Vivian scoring minutes later and substitute Iñaki Williams getting the second goal.

He said: "Nobody is going to give you anything for free. It was a difficult match, as we expected, and sloppy at times. We dominated the first half, but we weren't getting forward effectively.

"We moved the ball and were able to attack from the flanks, but we lacked a bit of finesse with our finishing. In fact, Leganés had two better chances.

"We pushed forward more in the second half but we weren't clinical. The goal changed the game and we had to battle for the win.

"It was a hard-fought match between two teams looking for the win in different ways."