Athletic wants revenge in Mestalla with the semifinals at stake

Athletic wants revenge in Mestalla with the semifinals at stake

   MADRID, 25 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Valencia and Athletic Club face each other this Thursday (8:00 p.m.) at Mestalla in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey 2022-2023, a match to which the 'lions' arrive somewhat crestfallen and with irregularities as the protagonist, although eager to Revenge after the elimination last year at the hands of a 'ché' team that sees the incentive in the semifinals of the tournament to reverse a more than discreet first round.

The team trained by Gennaro Gattuso arrives in need for the crucial duel of the KO tournament, which they see as an opportunity to begin to remove the sign of a weak team and solidify the project with a prestigious victory. Immersed in a crisis, which they hope will be temporary, Valencia demonstrated in the draw (2-2) against Almería on the last day of the League that fragility and mental inconsistency are the characteristics of a project touched, although not sunk for the moment. .

And the Cup, to which Gattuso gives "priority", seems the perfect remedy against the fear and concern that surround the 'ché' team, twelfth in the League and still far from the 40 points that would give them peace of mind. They have only won one game of the last nine in the League, three points from relegation, set by Valladolid, who will be their rival this weekend. This duel will close a week in which the Valencians, who forcefully eliminated Sporting (0-4) in the round of 16, play half the season.

With the European objective bordering on impossible by classification, winning the KO tournament, in which they were runners-up last year, becomes the only option to get a place in the Europa League. "We are a team that we have not been able to manage advantages, it is not all bad, but we have to do things better when we go ahead, change the mentality. But it is not all negative. Now it is time to work professionally", stressed the coach about the "important" match.

Gattuso will not be able to count on Thierry Correia on the right side, who joins Nico González on the list of an infirmary from which Hugo Duro would emerge. The striker trained with his teammates this Wednesday, in a session in which Justin Kluivert was not present. The coaching staff will decide before the game with the Dutch winger, who does not seem to have anything serious after an MRI.

The technician advanced changes in the 'eleven' by the demanding calendar of January. The Georgian Mamardashvili aims to start, with a line of four ahead with Foulquier and rotations in the central position that would give prominence to Diakhaby and Cömert. Guillamón could enter a midfield where Musah and Almeida would not be missing. Cavani and Lino are fixed, with the option of introducing a fourth midfielder or another winger. Kluivert and Castillejo would be the most offensive options.

But Valencia's desire to resurface will collide this Thursday with the thirst for revenge of the 'lions', after last year the Valencianistas eliminated Athletic in the Cup semifinals (1-1 and 1-0). It was a hard blow for the Basques, who now have the opportunity to be a semifinalist for the fourth consecutive season.

"Here there is great enthusiasm for the Cup. I imagine that for them too, last year they reached the final. For us, it meant not reaching it and now we have another opportunity. We know what it costs to get here and opportunities like this have to be taken", Ernesto Valverde assured at a press conference that he is returning to Mestalla, where he trained in 2012-2013.

And their history in the competition supports them. Athletic, who "killed" Espanyol in the round of 16, can boast of 19 consecutive cup qualifiers to one game overcome - without taking finals into account. And it is that, like Valencia and after a return after the break without victories in the League -two draws and one defeat-, the Basques want to hold on to the Cup to climb their particular January slope with more strength and confidence.

The month of January has been hard and it has not been good for the rojiblancos, who went to the World Cup in the Champions League position and now, after four consecutive games without winning -the last one, against Real Madrid (0-2)- , is relegated to eighth place in the table. However, he has successfully and resoundingly passed the four KO tournament qualifiers he has faced this season.

At Athletic, who won the last duel (1-0) between the two teams, although they only have two victories in the last ten games at Mestalla, Iñigo Martínez will not be available. This would force Valverde to set up a defensive line with the doubt of Óscar de Marcos and the entry of Yeray Álvarez. Agirrezabala would be under the sticks, while Dani García, Zarraga and Sancet would form the midfield. Iker Muniain, with less prominence but fresher, could accompany Iñaki Williams and Guruzeta in attack.

VALENCIA: Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Cömert, Diakhaby, Gayà; Guillamón, Almeida, Musah; Castillejo, Cavani and Lino.

ATHLETIC CLUB: Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Vivian, Yeray and Yuri Berchiche; Dani García, Zarraga, Sancet; Muniain, Iñaki Williams and Cruzeta.

--REFEREE: Del Cerro Grande (C. Madrid).

--STADIUM: Mestalla.

--TIME: 8:00 p.m./Movistar.