Valverde: "We won't let our good form go to our heads"

Ernesto Valverde stressed that overconfidence and complacency won't be an issue for Athletic Club as his players get ready to see out 2024 with tough away derbies against Deportivo Alaves and CA Osasuna..

The Lions go into Sunday's LaLiga fixture against Deportivo Alavés (16:15 CET) in fine form. Athletic recently defeated Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahçe 0-2 in Istanbul and are unbeaten in LaLiga since October.

"In our case, we're not overconfident. we will not let people being excited and happy go to our heads," Valverde said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday afternoon.

"If there' s one clear certainty in the world of football, it's that one day you are going to lose. We're going to try to keep that day at bay.

"However, we have to acknowledge the difficulty of the games ahead of us. Tomorrow's derby will also be a difficult match. We have to focus just on our game."

The boss said Athletic want to "finish the year well and extend this good form" but warned that Alavés will pose a serious threat.

He added: "Right now we have good momentum and we want to keep it going. We have two games left to finish the year. Both derbies away from home. We know what that means, the motivation it provides for our rivals and for us.

"Alavés are at the bottom of the table and want to move away from there. They have a team and a fan base with the means to win."

Valverde confirmed that Nico Williams and Yeray, who both came off injured in Türkiye, are "doing well and in the matchday squad"

He continued: "They've completed a full training session and we believe they'll be feeling even better tomorrow."