Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde has cautioned his players that they won’t get another opportunity in their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Osasuna.
Tomorrow, the Basque team will host a crucial match against Osasuna at the Estadio San Mames, following their defeat in the first leg by 1-0 in Pamplona last month.
To have any possibility of making it to the final and facing either Real Madrid or Barcelona, the hosts must secure a victory in this two-legged tie.
Valverde expressed his frustration over his team’s lackluster performance in the first encounter and stressed that they have to give their all in the upcoming match against Osasuna.
He said: “It’s a ‘final’ and we have to go win it from the start, because we’re losing, and we have to come back.
“It’s the second part of the tie. We’re at a disadvantage, and we have to try to overcome it.
“We have to play with the heart and the head. There’s a lot at stake and knowing how to handle the pressure of a semi final counts a lot.”
In 2021/22, Athletic Club made it to the semi-finals but lost to Valencia. They had been the runners-up in the previous two finals, but they haven’t won the competition since 1984.
