Valverde: “We had to suffer to win”

Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde was pleased with his side's hard-fought 1-0 Europa League win over SK Slavia Praha at The Cathedral on Thursday night.

A Nico Williams' strike which took a deflection before crossing the line, plus a composed performance by Julen Agirrezabala between the sticks, helped the Lions overcome a strong Slavia side.

"It's a valuable win because we rate our opponents highly. We knew it was going to be difficult," Valverde said in his pre-match press conference.

"We've played three different games and you have to sweat for every point in Europe. These are very good teams. We're happy with where we are in the standings."

Slavia Praha's outstanding display came as no surprise to Ernesto, who knew Athletic were always in for a tough test against a team "used to playing in the Champions League".

He continued: "They're a great team. If they were in Europa League Pot 1, it's for a reason, and they have some incredible players.

"They've had the same coach for a long time, they play with a lot of energy and they press very hard from the first minute to the last. They never give up.

​​​"I was expecting a game like this with a lot of back and forth. We won but with a lot of pain and suffering.

"Slavia played very well. It was difficult for us because they pressed individually. That has its complications and also its advantages as you can occasionally catch them close to the box. That's where the goal came from."