Nuno Santo has claimed that stopping Aritz Aduriz will be the key to Valencia leaving Athletic Bilbao with a win on Sunday.
Aduriz spent two years at Valencia, before being shipped to Athletic, where he has since flourished, for a cut-price fee in 2013, but the Coach refused to admit the decision to sell the striker – in light of his side’s struggles in front of goal this season – was a bad one.
“I won’t comment on decisions that have been taken in the past,” he said at a Press conference.
“I’ll say that Aduriz is a great player, and we see him as an adversary to keep under control. Our obsession is to mark Aduriz out of the game.
“We can’t make the mistake that the wins we’ve had are enough to assure us victory in Bilbao. Regardless of their previous result, Athletic rotated.
“They’re a very strong team with great players, so we must be focused, and clear about our concepts. Intensity is the key to Sunday’s game.
“We respect Athletic. [San Mames] is a difficult venue, but we are prepared to improve and hope results continue to accompany us.
“Andre [Gomes] is feeling good, trained well and is fully recovered [from injury] so he’s a valid option for Bilbao.
“However, our squad has great quality and options, which means we won’t suffer if we have any absences.
“The squad guarantees everyone will always be ready to compete at the highest level.
“There’s always room for improvement, but we mustn’t wallow in self-pity for too long.
“We must work hard every day, work together, in solidarity, and be committed to the idea that we’re moving forward. Our best performance is yet to come.
“Our fans want to see us win, and it’s what we want too. The fans demand that we’re always committed, and we must always be united [the fans and players] to become even stronger.”
