Valverde: "We didn't perform well enough"

Ernesto Valverde admitted Athletic Club performed poorly at the Coliseum, putting their 2-0 defeat down to the fact that they let Getafe play the match at "the pace they wanted".

Luis Vazquez and Martin Satriano scored the home side's goals as the Lions struggled to break down Getafe's defence at the other end.

"It was a match in which we clearly didn’t perform well enough," Valverde said in his pre-match press conference.

"We played too slowly and lacked penetration against their defence. We didn’t create any clear-cut chances and we failed to turn our possession into goal-scoring opportunities."

The gaffer said the loss was "a reflection of how the season is going" for Athletic, pointing to our difficulties in achieving consistent results.

He continued: "There have been times when we've performed better away from home, but we haven't been playing well in recent matches.

"The fact is that after winning a match, we haven't quite able to build on that momentum. Today’s match, with barely any chances, went their way and we didn’t have the means to respond."

Valverde urged his players "to be hungry", reminding them that "they aren't safe yet and the teams above us aren’t that far ahead".

"We need to have that ambition to try and climb the table," he added. "We have to bounce back and find our away form again."