Ernesto Valverde has said Athletic Bilbao didn’t care how they beat Shakhtar Donetsk, they just knew they had to get three points.
Mikel San Jose’s goal gave Los Leones their first Champions League group stage victory of the season and after BATE Borisov lost to Porto, took them to third place in Group H.
BATE visit San Mames in the last round of group games and a draw will be enough to keep Athletic in third place, ensuring Champions League qualification.
Valverde said after the match that BATE’s defeat to Porto in an earlier kick-off wasn’t a factor, however, and victory was the only thing on his team’s mind, even if they have played better this season.
“I don’t know if it’s our best game of the year. We’ve been brighter in others, but we had to work hard because we had to force it if we were to have options going forward,” he said, AS reports.
“No matter what happened in Belarus, our only goal was to win. When a team is in last place, which we were before play, you have to win.
“We have done that and we’re happy.
“A couple of months ago our mood was different. We were in a bad position in the League and now we’re more at ease and we’re aware of [the Champions League].
“We’re not newcomers and that counts.”
Valverde was unable to give too much information on the fitness of Xabier Etxeita, who lasted little more than half-an-hour before going off with a groin injury, but suggested he doesn’t expect further scans to reveal a serious problem.
