Ernesto Valverde says that while Athletic Bilbao’s visit of Elche this afternoon ‘is not a final’, he considers the La Liga fixture as a must-win match.
Los Leones are in a wretched run of form, having lost three of their last four League games, but the Coach is hoping the encounter with the basement boys offers his team some welcome respite in their quest to move up the table.
“It’s a game I’m very wary of and one which I’ve placed extra importance on,” he told reporters at a Press conference.
“It’s not a final but still very important if we consider the objectives we set at the beginning of the season.
“We said to ourselves that we had to maintain our performances levels from last year, when we finished fourth.
“Repeating that feat has proved difficult, but we can be amongst the six, seven, eight or even nine teams fighting for European qualification.
“Moving up to eighth is what we’re aiming for in the short run, and if we don’t win, we won’t [achieve our objective] and will be forced to look down [the table].
“[Fran] Escriba is a great Coach, and Elche always give 100 percent from the first minute.
“Our game requires us to be on top and be dominant, but we need to concentrate. If we miss this step, we’ll step too far back.
“The [Copa del Rey] tie against Barca isn’t one of [Elche’s] objectives, neither are Barcelona their rivals.
“It was a heavy defeat [referring to the 5-0], but it was clear that they were more interested in the game against us.
“The difference between Elche and Barcelona isn’t the same as between Elche and us. There’s vital points at stake, and they’re more vital for us.”
