Nuno Santo believes Valencia are within touching distance of the Champions League group stage following Wednesday's 3-1 win against Monaco.
Los Che went ahead through Rodrigo Moreno after just four minutes, and despite Mario Pasalic's equaliser early in the second half, goals from Dani Parejo and Sofiane Feghouli secured their first-leg advantage in the playoffs.
“[The victory was] very important. It was difficult, but we deserved it,” the Coach told BeIN Sports.
“We planned our entire pre-season to win this game as it's essential for us.
“[On their poor spells of play], that's the game. The game is about attack, defence, balance and your opponents.
“Still, we started very well in terms of our game plan, and although Monaco's goal was a shame, we're a team who have quality and enthusiasm and I'll never criticise them.
“The outcome of the match makes us believe that we're close [to the group stage].
“The result was good, and [Feghouli's] goal was important but not decisive, but winning in front of our fans was the most important thing.
“Since our final game of last season, in which we earned 77 points, we've been thinking about this game.”
