Valverde: "We're eager to make amends"

Ernesto Valverde emphasised the importance of "a quick recovery” as he previewed Saturday night's "important" LaLiga clash with Atlético de Madrid at San Mames (21:00 CET).

It's a fast turnaround for the Lions, who will be seeking to bounce back from Wednesday's defeat to Real Madrid with a positive performance against Diego Simeone's side.

“We have an important match tomorrow and we're eager to make amends," Valverde said at his pre-match press conference. "The opponents we're facing are strong, but that's a reality we have to deal with. Tomorrow we'll give it our best shot again."

The head coach admitted that his players have struggled for consistent form of late, but he's confident they'll turn the page soon.

He continued: "You can see what we want to do in every match. Sometimes the opposition beats you, but in any case, our idea is always to stay strong, be competitive and keep doing what we normally do.

"Before Wednesday's match, we were getting stronger, so we need to get back to that." 

Ernesto described Atlético Madrid, currently fourth in LaLiga with 31 points, as a team with a "very competitive mentality".

He added: "They've been established in the Champions League for years and are a team that always has a chance of winning any title. It will be a great match and we have to give it our all."