Ernesto Valverde congratulated his Athletic Bilbao players for a job well done following Friday’s 1-0 victory over Cordoba in La Liga.
Los Leones closed the gap on seventh-placed Malaga courtesy of Deivid’s own goal at the Nuevo Arcangel, and the Coach urged his side to continue their late push for the Europa League.
“Cordoba find themselves in the situation they’re in, and it showed at times,” he said after the game.
“Our objective was to win, catch Malaga and finish seventh, and we did that.
“Despite some missed chances, we eventually pulled through. The game was more open than the scoreline reflected.
“We’re the only team that can currently qualify for Europe by finishing seventh. The rest have to wait for the [Copa del Rey] final.
“[Ager] Aketxe had a good game. It was the first time he played as a starter but moved well between the lines.”
