Valverde: "You have to get out of your head that it's a 180-minute tie so as not to speculate"

   MADRID, 28 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Athletic coach, Ernesto Valverde, asked this Tuesday to "get out of your head" that the semifinals of the Copa del Rey against Osasuna are "a 180-minute tie" to avoid "starting to speculate" with the result, at the same time that He assured that they will go "for everything" to advance to the final and "clean up" the negative of the last weeks.

"We don't think of a draw, our intention is to win. But if we score two own goals and we're left with 10, a draw would be a good result. We're not thinking of speculating on the result. We have to get out of the head that it is a eliminatory to 180 minutes, because otherwise you begin to speculate. You have to solve the things from the first moment, not to forget what you have in front of your noses", affirmed the technician in press conference.

Valverde acknowledged before the first leg this Wednesday (9:00 p.m. / La 1) that they had to "digest the bitterness" that was the last defeat (2-3). "When you lose you have to have a day to crush your head, but we already think about the game that comes to us. It is a semifinal, with the ability to reach a final, and we have to go for everything," he insisted.

"Each game is different. The other day we tried to get over it and a host of negative things came upon us. Now it's another competition, another story. We have to play two good games. We've shown many things this year and it's a difficult tie between two Even teams, let's see if we can clean up all this that we have when you lose and turn everything positive," added Valverde.

In addition, the coach sees in this defeat an opportunity to "motivate" for the Cup. "We all have to look for incentives and motivation for the games that come to us. If we cannot motivate ourselves from victory, we will motivate ourselves from defeat to rebel." against it," he explained.

"Moods change every week. This week has gone very badly for us, own goals, injuries. They (Osasuna) reserved players, that's my feeling. You have to look for luck. Football is capricious, they do many things so that luck accompanies them. I don't know who is the favourite, it's an even tie, that's what the classification says," he added about the moments of each team.

Regarding Athletic's experience in this competition, due to Osasuna's only previous semifinal in the Cup, Valverde reiterated that it is a "great opportunity" for both teams. "What has happened before is very good, but it belongs to the past. It is about writing how we are going to experience this semifinal. We both have hopes and sometimes history is used to justify, but the statistics are written in the present. Having played some more semifinal does not mean anything for tomorrow", he said.

"I want to see a strong, consistent team that continuously causes problems for Osasuna, we've seen it many times this season already. We'll have to play two very good games to get to the final," Valverde confessed about the Athletic he wants to see at El Sadar, while acknowledging that the team lacks a "very accurate" player in front of goal, so they will work more on "finishing".

Asked about the strengths of the 'rojillos', Valverde praised Osasuna as a "strong, reliable team that focuses you from minute one" and that "also plays judiciously". "It is a team that I like, it is very difficult to surpass them, they are very regular. We are two similar teams, they play at being Osasuna and in that they are the best, they have that seal from the first minute to the last", he praised.

"In San Mamés we played very well and we didn't win. Last year we won them both games, but we are not in the same situation, they are now stronger than last year. Moi Gómez gives them a lot of play, Oroz has entered well in the team. We will have to manage the tension and passion of the game, the expectation that is generated, we must master these situations and the emotional factor can also influence", he commented on previous clashes.

Finally, Valverde confirmed that homegrown players Adu Ares and goalkeeper Ispizua would train with the first team, due to the numerous casualties. "We have to wait for training. I haven't spoken to the doctor about some players, but Unai Simón is having a difficult time. In the cases of Yeray, Nico Williams, Raúl García and Iñigo Martínez, who is taking faster steps, we have to wait for training The one of Ander Herrera goes a little slower", concluded.