Valverde: "Getting the win is what matters"

Ernesto Valverde was happy to see his Lions pick up another three points at San Mames, despite admitting it was "not the most entertaining match ever".

A second-half Oihan Sancet penalty saw Athletic Club defeat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Bilbao to maintain our winning start to the 2025/26 campaign.

It was a hard-fought match and very exhausting because we both ran a lot, but getting the win is what matters most," Valverde said in his post-game press conference.

"Everything was quite restricted and there wasn't a lot of clear-cut chances. Rayo started better, not because we lacked attitude, but because we had a lot of turnovers under no pressure.

"We looked a bit unsure. As the first half progressed, we started to recover, but the game wasn't where we wanted it to be.

"In the second half, we pressed more aggressively and that's where the chances came from."

According to the booss, in addition to earning points, the most important thing is to continue building momentum.

He added: "We have to find our rhythm. We struggled the other day and today at the start too. We need to take control of the games so we don't feel uncomfortable."