Baraja: “The important thing is that we went through”

Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja spoke after his side eliminated Arosa SC from the Copa del Rey.

The game

“We all know what these games are and we know the history of the Copa del Rey. They were opponents who were going to put pressure on us at their home ground. We had more control in the first half and the start of the second half gave them the opportunity to grow into the game.

The important thing is that we went through. We interpreted the first half better, in terms of the spaces. Roman did a good job on those types of moves. We talked about that during the break.

In the second half, we lost the ball. Jaume performed at a good level and he kept us in the game. It is not a question of relaxation; the pitch has also had an influence. We didn’t interpret the second half well and we didn’t get the goal to make it 0-2 -which also kept the match alive.

Players coming in

“Everyone needs minutes and the Copa del Rey is an opportunity for that. Roman scored a goal. It's good for him too. Canós had minutes, Amallah and Diakhaby too. Jesús Vázquez, who hasn't played for a long time, completed the entire match. Alberto also returned and we must take away the positives: There were no injuries. The game has helped us get them minutes and get players back available.”

The next opponents in the cup

“This is not the time to evaluate that. We’ll see what happens in the draw. I wanted to congratulate Arosa SC, as they played a great game and made it difficult for us. The best thing is that we went on to the next round.”

Substituting Yaremchuk

“It was planned. He had not completed so many minutes for a long time and we decided that he should go off because we are going to need him on Friday. And we also had the possibility of Alberto coming in and participating in the game, and he had not been able to play for 4 months.”

A Lomba

“The atmosphere was sensational. They pushed us until the end. It shows that they are very close to their team. We knew it was going to be a difficult game and that Arosa, on their own ground, were going to take us to the end of the game with difficulties. They are a team who do not concede many goals. Their fans pushed them on to the end. This is the magic of the Copa del Rey.”

Youth team players

“They are in their process. There were 3-4 players who played in the match. For example, Ali Fadal we think has an excellent future. These types of games are sure to help them grow and improve, as in the case of Camus, Gozi... and the possibility of them having minutes with the first team is always positive. It helps us see solutions and see their options for the future -within the team and within Valencia CF.”