Valencia v Athletic Bilbao - Preview

Gary Neville insists he can handle the pressure but has made it clear his side need to ``deliver'' in Thursday's Europa League home clash with Athletic Bilbao.

Neville's position with Los Che continues to be under intense scrutiny after Sunday's 1-0 Primera Division loss at rock-bottom derby rivals Levante, which he branded ``unacceptable'' and was their third straight defeat in all competitions.

With Valencia currently 12th in the league table and their Copa del Rey campaign having ended in the semi-finals, the Europa League would appear their only realistic route left if they are going to achieve success this term.

They lost the first leg of their last-16 tie with fellow Spanish outfit Athletic 1-0 last week.

And ahead of their attempt to turn things around at the Mestalla, Neville - who also has international commitments to worry about as part of the England coaching team - said: ``I have no problem with anything that has been said in these last few days. I expected it.

``I don't want it, but I have been in football a long time and when you have a performance like that and you play like that (against Levante), you cannot defend (it).

``I understand the fans' anger - they should be angry and I accept this completely. I said this on Sunday after the game - that we have to accept any criticism that comes our way.

``Do I find it harder to work under the pressure?

``I have been in these types of situation - not as a head coach maybe, but as a player and as an assistant coach working with England, I have been in this type of situation before where it has been very difficult and I have been surrounded by these types of moment.

``I don't feel destabilised by the fact we are working under this level of pressure.

``But if we don't deliver, then we know the circumstances, we know the outcome, we know what is going to be said.''

Neville's men host an Athletic side who are six places above them in the Primera Division and on a five-game winning streak in all competitions.

Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde told Marca: ``For us it is a final. There is a team that will be left out, and we do not want it to be us.

``They may be under more pressure because they are further back than they thought, but that should not affect us - we have the same amount of enthusiasm as them.''

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Cheryshev Gives Neville Vital Win

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Gary Neville admitted his relief after picking up his first league victory as Valencia’s manager – but insisted it would not be a night for celebration.

Denis Cheryshev’s diving header gave Valencia a nail-biting 2-1 win over struggling Espanyol, who had taken the lead early in the second half after an error from returning goalkeeper Diego Alves allowed Oscar Duarte to head home.

That looked set to condemn Neville to a third consecutive league defeat, which would have left his side just two points above the relegation zone. But the substitute Alvaro Negredo pulled them level with a deflected finish on 70 minutes and the new recruit Cheryshev scored with a diving header six minutes later to give Valencia the lead for the first time in 10 league games under their new manager.

Although the remaining quarter of an hour brought a couple of nervy moments for the hosts, they hung on to claim their first league victory since beating Celta Vigo 5-1 on 5 November.

“I think what the game tells us today is football isn’t about putting on the best performance, but today we got the result,” said Neville. “It’s not a night for any celebration whatsoever, not to get carried away, but we’ll gain some confidence. There’s a good feeling in the dressing room and we’ll take it forward.

“Relief’s probably a good word in some ways to describe what I felt. The last four minutes can be a long time in football – I wanted the final whistle to come as quickly as possible, and I saw the reaction of the fans, of the players. I think it [10 games without a win] is far too long for this club.

Neville also praised the Mestalla fans for their support throughout the game, saying: “The most incredible bit was the fans stayed with us, they stayed with every single player, they stayed with me.

“It’s not down to tactics, it’s not down to the coach, it’s down to the fans and the way they responded after the goal. The game turned into an emotional game, the fans were pushing us forward, throwing us forward. We suffered a little bit but got there in the end and that’s the important thing.”

Neville also announced that Pako Ayesteran, Rafael Benítez’s former assistant at Valencia and Liverpool, is to join his coaching staff with immediate effect.

“He’s not to replace current staff, I just wanted to bring in someone with experience alongside me. Please don’t interpret this as a problem in any way. I’ve been speaking to Paco for the last 10 days.”

The former Manchester United defender also said he was relaxed about the criticism that has come his way. “Hopefully we’ll push on from this and get more confident. That’s what I want, that’s what I hope for. In terms of media and fan reaction, they are well within their rights to say what they’ve been saying. I’d be saying it as a journalist, as a fan. I’m not expecting to be shielded or protected. I thrive on it. From my point of view I know I’m in a fight.”

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Valencia Edge Closer to Danger Zone

Gary Neville vowed to fight on as Valencia head coach despite seeing his winless streak continue with a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis.

The loss to Betis followed a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Barcelona last week in the Copa del Rey, the club's worst defeat since 1993.

It also leaves Valencia just four points off the relegation zone and still without a win in nine La Liga matches under the Englishman.

But Neville defended his team's displays, with the exception of the humbling by Barcelona, and said he had not been given enough time to turn things around.

"I said before I came that I would be judged in five months. The obituaries have already been written, I have been judged in six weeks," he said.

"Our last two league matches were not performances that deserved two defeats, but the reality is that they are two defeats and I am aware of the consequences when you don't get good results.

"What matters are results. We knew this would be about one or two moments and they have not gone our way. The line between defeat and victory is so fine.

The coach also cursed his team's luck in the game against Betis, for whom Ruben Castro grabbed the winner, with Alvaro Negredo missing two chances in the second half and Shkrodan Mustafi having a goal ruled out for offside in injury time.

Valencia, though, finished with 10 men for the second match in a row following the late dismissal of Jose Luis Gaya

"It's clear that we are better than some of the teams we are playing against," added Neville. "That's the most difficult thing to explain. I would say that it was a tight game, that the lines are fine, but that you have to win it in both boxes

"I can't believe that we will keep missing chances and that every time there is a chance the other team will take it.

The coach was asked again if he would resign from the role, but vowed to stay on.

"There's no doubt that at times like this, everyone needs to stay together," he said.

"Everyone suffers. It's just not going for us at the moment. That was a pretty solid away performance. I continue to work, I continue to have belief. Conversations with the owners are between me and the owners. We have to turn it round quickly, I understand that. It is hard to explain the defeat. It will turn."

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Fenando Torres Hits Century for Atleti

Fernando Torres scored his 100th goal for Atlético Madrid as they came from a goal down to beat Eibar 3-1 at home and go level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Two headed goals from corners by central defenders José María Giménez and Saúl in seven minutes put Atlético on track after Keko had put Eibar ahead in the 46th.

Diego Simeone will be glad his team ended a run of four matches without a win in La Liga and Copa del Rey while the substitute Torres, who scored in added time, had been waiting since the win at Eibar in September to reach his Atlético century.

Atlético are unlikely to stay equal top on 51 points beyond Sunday when rampant Barcelona, who have the superior goal difference and two matches in hand, visit the bottom team, Levante.

Real Madrid, away to Granada on Sunday, are third, four points back.

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Barca Battle Back to Beat Bilbao

Goals from Neymar and Luis Suárez helped Barcelona fight back to beat Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Despite leading 2-1 after the first leg of their rematch of last year’s final, Bilbao dominated most of the first half and took a 1-0 lead on the night after Inaki Williams’s 12th-minute goal.

The second half, however, was all Barcelona’s after Suárez calmed the home fans with the equaliser in the 53rd minute.

Visibly tired from their first-half efforts, Bilbao wilted before Gerard Piqué and Neymar scored to make it 5-2 on aggregate with less than 10 minutes left.

“We went out with a good advantage but then conceding made it complicated for us,” Suárez said. “It was a poor first half from us but then we went out with a different attitude and that made the difference.”

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Celta Clinch Copa del Rey Semi

Celta Vigo eliminated Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory at the Vicente Calderón.

Pablo Hernández scored twice as Celta upset Atlético, who had lost only once in their previous 24 games, to reach the semi-final.

Following a goalless draw in the first leg, the Atlético coach, Diego Simeone, again left striker Jackson Martínez on the bench with Luciano Vietto partnering Antoine Griezmann in attack. Both sides have struggled for goals in recent games – Atlético’s 0-0 draw with Sevilla on Sunday cost them the lead in La Liga.

Atlético’s Koke struck an early shot just wide and Saúl Ñíguez had an effort saved by Ruben Blanco before Celta took a surprise lead with Hernández given space to head in a Fabian Orellana cross.

Griezmann slotted home after a Yannick Carrasco shot was parried into his path by Blanco but Celta took charge of the match at the start of the second half.

Saúl gave the ball away to John Guidetti who powered home a 25-metre drive and Correa struck the crossbar at the other end before Hernández got his second with a header from Hugo Mallo’s cross.

Correa finished clinically after a fine run to make it 3-2 but Celta held out, despite being pinned back in the closing stages, to reach the semi-final of the cup for the first time in 15 years.

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Pundit Neville Shown White Hankies

Valencia’s struggles under Gary Neville continued when they had to come from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw in their Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg at home to Las Palmas.

The former England and Manchester United defender took over as the coach at the Mestalla last month after Nuno Espírito Santo was sacked but has yet to secure a win in La Liga in six attempts. Fans waved white handkerchiefs at the final whistle .

The draw left Neville frustrated but he was upbeat about Valencia’s performance. “When you draw a game at home you are always disappointed,” the Valencia manager said. “But if we play like we did today again we will win matches.”

Valencia fell behind in the 38th minute when the midfielder Wilfried Zahibo headed past his own goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from a free-kick.

Paco Alcácer equalised in the 61st minute with a well-struck shot from just outside the area but the home side were unable to make sustained late pressure count.

Álvaro Negredo fluffed a great chance in the third minute of added time when he failed to connect cleanly with a José Luis Gayà centre, leaving Las Palmas with an advantage for next week’s return leg in the Canary Islands.

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Messi Magic Stumps Espanyol

Barcelona secured a comfortable 4-1 win over nine-man Espanyol in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round-of-16 clash at the Nou Camp.

Espanyol took an early lead through former Manchester City forward Felipe Caicedo, but Barcelona replied thanks to Lionel Messi's first-half brace.

The Argentine talisman turned provider as he set up Gerard Pique to put the hosts 3-1 up and Neymar added a late fourth to give Barcelona a commanding first-leg lead.

In a fiery encounter, referee Juan Martinez Munuera dished out 11 yellow cards and two red cards as both sides looked to claim bragging rights in the Catalan derby.

The home side handed summer signing Arda Turan his debut after the club's transfer ban had been ended on Monday. Their other high-profile signing, full-back Aleix Vidal, started on the bench.

The two teams played out a goalless draw in the Primera Division on Saturday, but the hosts were on the front foot as Espanyol goalkeeper Javi Lopez's smothering block denied Neymar from giving them an early lead after eight minutes.

But Espanyol, who reached the semi-finals last year, took a shock lead moments later when Marco Asensio pounced on Dani Alves' wayward pass before teeing up Caicedo, who calmly slotted past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Luis Enrique's side equalised immediately equalised when Andres Iniesta picked out Messi with a through ball and the Argentine made no mistake in beating the advancing Lopez.

Caicedo's night ended early, however, as a leg injury prompted Espanyol boss Constantin Galca to make a change before the break, with Joan Jordan replacing him.

Messi then produced a moment of magic three minutes from half-time. Substitute Jordan impeded Turan from 30 yards out to concede a free-kick before Messi stepped up to beat Lopez with a wonderful strike that curled over the Espanyol wall and in off the underside of the bar - his 19th goal of the season.

Barcelona raced out of the blocks in the second half and grabbed a third when Iniesta spotted Messi's run on the left byline, before he picked out Pique to score from three yards.

The evening got worse for the visitors on 72 minutes when Hernan Perez picked up his second caution of the game after an off-the-ball incident with Jordi Alba and they were down to nine men three minutes later, this time Pape Diop was given his marching orders for arguing with the referee.

With two minutes to play, Neymar and Messi played a neat one-two just outside of Espanyol's penalty area, before the latter picked out the Brazilian with a lofted ball and the forward beat Lopez with a first-time volley.

The next leg will be played next Wednesday at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat.

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