Valverde talks about Unai Simón's return and rotations

Athletic Club

Elfsborg

"We have been observing them since the beginning of the competition and we take into account their individual qualities. How they play and the unit they are. They deploy well in attack and are very organized. A defense of five, three fast forwards up top that we must be alert to and a lot of danger from set pieces. It is a team that will have to take risks, and it will be an important match for both teams."

The references

"Our main reference are the Europa League matches because we know the rivals better than their league matches, which we have also taken into account. They have beaten Roma, drawn with Braga, and lost by one goal to Galatasaray. We must consider that." 

Elfsborg's 17 days without a league match

"It is not too long, they have also played a recent friendly. I think all of that will help them focus on the match. We have been playing matches very close together, and if we do not see the handicap there, we won't see it the other way around either. It is an important opportunity for us to add three more points. I do not think that anyone has a handicap for having played more or less, before or later."

The day of Simon's return and the plan for the goal

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Unai Simón
3.330.000€-60.000€-

J14

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J13

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J12

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J11

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J10

PT

00

"We will find out tomorrow."

"We will see. We will wait to have all goalkeepers playing and then we will see, but I have an idea, let's not deceive ourselves."

The challenge of not losing

"What is done is already in the records and serves us to evaluate. Now we have to think that we have passed the halfway point of this first phase and we will move on to see if we can maintain these results and stay among the top eight. And I think that will not be enough with 13 points."

The impact of the schedule and rotations

"Until December 21, we have seven games, which is quite a few. If you start thinking about what you can do regarding the next game, everything is conditioned by the result. You may have an idea, but then you may not be able to apply it due to discomfort, injury, or any other factor. My focus is on tomorrow's match, not on Rayo, Real Madrid, or anything further ahead. The important thing is to assess the opponent and win the match. Then we will continue adjusting as we go."

Working towards goal difference

"First, there are the points, and the first thing is to win, you do not think much beyond that. You also do not ponder whether you will lose by one goal or more. It is clear what the mechanism is to resolve a tie. Our intention is always to score the maximum and concede the same. In this competition, there is a lot of parity, unlike what is happening in the Champions League."