FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.12.2007 14:03

Valdés: “The classic will be vital”

Vanessa Forns

Víctor Valdés knows just how important the last two games of the season against Valencia and Real Madrid are going to be. According to the keeper, “the classic will be vital for getting to the top and making an impact on the league”.

The side coached by Frank Rijkaard, currently four points off the top of the domestic table, have two crunch fixtures to end 2007. Next week they go to Mestalla, and then Real Madrid are due at the Camp Nou. Víctor Valdés has told a press conference that “there are two hard games to come, and they are important ones to win … the classic will be vital for getting to the top and making an impact on the league”.

Leaders setting the pace

Valdés was asked if Barça are keeping an eye on what Madrid are doing and answered that “when you are not at the top of the table your reference is always the leading team … if the team at the top wins their game then you are obliged to win as well if you want to win the title … but there is a lot of league still to go … it is proving very demanding”.

Seeking to end poor away for at Mestalla

But before Madrid, there is Valencia next Saturday, and Valdés commented that “we are playing at a ground where we haven’t done all that well in recent seasons … but statistics are there to be broken”. He then added that “it will be a very complicated game, because Valencia also need to win” and that “we need to end this poor run of results away from home”.

Pleased to welcome back Eto'o and Deco

As for Sunday’s game with Deportivo la Coruña, Víctor Valdés was pleased with the team in general and was especially happy to witness the return of two players: Eto'o y Deco. “They are very important players for us, for all they contribute to the team. They have many virtues and always get down to work for the good of the team”.

Cristian’s goal

Valdés pointed out that, as they knew Madrid had won the day before, “we were obliged to beat an opponent that in theory was going to be easy but wasn’t actually easy at all. Whenever you win after the leader has done the same, it has to be good.” He was also asked to comment on the second minute goal he conceded, saying “it was a long range shot but the ball swung in the air and changed direction. I couldn’t stop it”.

United squad

Real Madrid’s director of sport Pedja Mijatovic has commented that the Madrid squad is more united than the Barça one, to which the Barça stopper responded “he must have cameras in our dressing room to know what’s happening. There has been a good atmosphere here for several years. We are a group with a young average age that comes here every day to enjoy ourselves and are aware of the responsibility of playing for a team like FC Barcelona”.