Athletic Club manager wary of star-studded Real Madrid side – ‘All extraordinary players’

Real Madrid will look to capitalize on Barcelona’s recent slip-ups by securing a crucial victory against Athletic Club this midweek.

As the two sides prepare to face off in a highly anticipated clash, Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde has offered his insights into the upcoming match.

Valverde notably commented on Real Madrid’s dipping form in Champions League, but pointed out consolidation at the top of the league table.

Valverde on Real Madrid’s form

“It is true that they recently lost to Milan and Liverpool in the Champions League, but they are closing in on Barça. They have a game in hand and if they win they can go top,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Valverde also discussed Real Madrid’s prospects and whether or not they can retain consistency throughout the season.

“I see them doing well, logically throughout a season it is not easy to maintain a line of continuous winning because we already know that these teams are not asked to win but to crush, but that is difficult to do continuously,” he added.

“There are moments when they are very good and moments when they are weaker. They have won comfortably against Getafe, Leganes, they are doing well, they have come very close to Barça.”

“For us it is a very difficult game because we have to look back and we know that this game is very difficult for us,” Valverde pointed out.

Valverde on Mbappe

Valverde was also asked about Real Madrid’s key differentiators and how the team might fare, especially without the services of star man Vinicius Jr.

“I don’t know, I have a choice. If I focus too much on one, we might drop another, against these rivals it’s the same. They have differential players, Mbappe is one of them,” he said on Mbappe.

“They are all extraordinary players. You have to always be alert, even when you have the ball and you’re doing well,” he added.

Valverde on Athletic Club’s strategy

Valverde went on to lay down Athletic Club’s strategy and what the team must do in order to succeed against Real Madrid.

“We have to do everything right. It is a game in which you can never be careless. When you are doing well and you are dominating, if you don’t finish your plays or don’t make a good pass, Madrid punishes you because they are not going to fail,” he said.

Valverde highlighted the importance of avoiding any errors, stating, “We cannot allow them to have one attack and we have another, that is our downfall, because they are going to be much more accurate than us.”

“We have to sustain our attacks and not let them attack us too much. To the extent that we limit their attacks, we will have a chance,” he concluded.