Statements by Pellegrini

“We’ve always been focused on the League, despite having a bad run of results over the past two or three matches.  Unfortunately we were unable to defeat two rivals who performed very well at La Rosaleda, particularly Rayo Vallecano, but we’ve never taken our focus off the League at all.  I hope tomorrow we’ll return to winning ways and defeat Valencia, who are a direct rival to us.”
 
“It’ll be a tough match.  Valencia are a great team with some fantastic players, and although they’ve had a mixed season so far, they always perform well on the pitch.”

“Valencia, like all the big teams, have a large enough squad to replace a player who is injured or unable to play.  Every team however has problems with certain players, but are big enough to cover them.”

“The team is fresh and prepared for this match, as after we were defeated by Rayo Vallecano, none of the players took part in the Copa del Rey.  I’ve said it several times, it’s not a question of fatigue, but we need to ensure that the players are all at 100% mentally, regardless of the rival, which has been a problem in the past.  We’ve made some important rotations in order to perform well in the three competitions, and I hope tomorrow it’ll be all about individual performance, and not a question of fatigue.”

“Along with Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia has been one of the biggest teams in Spain over the past few years, and continue to have great potential this season.”