Real Sociedad boss Jagoba Arrasate said he will treasure the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in what was his first Basque derby.
Goals from Antoine Griezmann and Ruben Pardo propelled La Real to within one point of the Champions League places, leaving Arrasate pleased with his players.
“This was a very important victory achieved in a very tough match. Maybe it wasn’t the best to watch but it was competitive so I’ll treasure it,” he told reporters.
“We were really intense in the first half but struggled in the second, although we deserved to win. The team has learned how to handle different situations in the past few weeks and adapted well in this close game.
“It is something we have taken on board from our Champions League campaign, which has allowed our squad to develop.”
Even so, Arrasate maintains it is still too early to predict what his side can aspire to this season.
“We have 32 points and are fifth but until there are just a few games left we won’t know what we might accomplish, although obviously the club is aiming at Europe, whether it is the Europa League or Champions League if we can qualify for it,” he concluded.
