Valverde, as usual before every match, does not want to give any clue about his intentions for tomorrow’s derby in Anoeta. The Athletic coach hinted that Nico Williams could be included in the squad and admitted to being unaware of the club’s allegations regarding Sancet’s red card against Getafe. The Gasteiztarran coach prefers to focus only and exclusively on the match.
“They get into the games very well, they have a very good activation once the ball goes in and they try to set the pace of what could be the first half in the first minutes. That is fundamental. that We want to be the first team to have a chance to score, to take a corner, to make a dangerous foul near the rival area. The first minutes are the ones that mark a lot that can happen after the game. We have to have an answer here,” he argued about Real’s good start to the game.
The Athletic coach does not believe that the San Sebastian team coped better with the derbies than his team: “I don’t think so, I don’t think. If I have to look at the games I had to play as a player and coach against Real, I would say “No. It’s a great game to play and it’s as important and exciting for us as it is for them. No friends against Real. There is no clear favorite.”
The fact that this derby comes after a week with a match in the middle does not take away its incentive, according to Valverde. “For the players and the coaching staff, there are the incentives of the derby. We practically have no rest time, but that’s because there will be an extraordinary atmosphere in Anoeta. This is the best derby in the League for me because I can see everything. The world are together, everyone is cheering for his team and on the field we will fight as usual. I also see other derbies where there are things that cannot be controlled. Within the conflict that exists we can still all together,” he reflected.
Regarding whether the win at Anoeta means hitting the table, Valverde answered that “I don’t know, but it will be three points that we will welcome. Because the prize is juicy, because we play the little healthy rivalry at La Real, we want to win it and be able to enjoy it. We’ve only been there for a few days, but it’s good to have that feeling that you continue adding and advancing in the competition.”
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
