Valverde on Sancet, Galarreta, Prados, and the victory in the derby

Athletic Club

Winning with expertise

“Winning in any way is pleasing. There are situations and many games where it seems like nothing is happening, but there is always something about to happen that you must avoid. In the second half, there wasn't much fluid play due to the pressure applied by both teams in the game”.

The start of the match

“If one team goes up, the other has to go down, and it's always about imposing yourself on the opponent. We managed to create chances in that period and scored. After that, everything was more evenly matched”.

The Galarreta-Prados duo and Prados's fifth yellow card

71

Ruiz de Galarreta
2.790.000€-20.000€?

J20

1

J19

3

J18

5

J17

8

J16

MD

20

59

Beñat Prados
1.850.000€-30.000€?

J20

1

J19

3

J18

-

J17

4

J16

MD

01

“They are two players who have been playing regularly, but there are quality replacements. We knew Prados was at risk and that receiving a yellow card was a possibility. But before that league game, we have another one in the Europa League. Beating Real, who is one of our rivals and with whom we are always closely matched, allows us to climb up the table”.

Victories after league breaks

“Derbies are always special, even though they are worth the same three points as other games, and there is still a long way to go. The derby has an emotional component of rivalry, in which we all give our all. You have to enjoy it as much as you can. It's our turn now, but both teams are very close”.

Sancet's statistics

111

Sancet
7.920.000€-350.000€?

J20

5

J19

6

J18

2

J17

7

J16

MD

17

“It's important for all players to have good statistics. That adds a lot. I had doubts about him, just like with Guruzeta or Berenguer because they were dealing with physical issues, and I didn't decide until the last moment to start him. He is an important player, and between the lines, he contributes a lot”.