Fede Valverde, the Real Madrid midfielder, spoke to the press after the ‘merengues’ secured victory over Rayo Vallecano on matchday 22 of the Primera Division. The Uruguayan believes the win marks a crucial step in correcting the poor image displayed in fixtures such as their recent Champions League defeat in Lisbon.
The Uruguayan Fede Valverde insisted that despite Real Madrid defeating Rayo Vallecano with a 100th-minute penalty, the ‘Los Blancos’ side “played a great match”. He added that the triumph marks the first step to “change their image” following their Champions League defeat in Lisbon. “We were coming off a tough defeat, one nobody ever wants in the Champions League. This is La Liga, a competition many of us desire and want to win. We must change that image in such an important competition, and today, we had our first opportunity, our first chance for revenge, to alter what we did a couple of days ago. I believe we played a great match,” he declared on ‘Real Madrid TV’.
“Winning always brings happiness; the energy shifts considerably. However, the most important and essential thing is to keep improving, to keep growing as a team, and to try to settle the match much earlier than the 90 minutes. We can’t always be waiting for an opponent’s mistake. We need to keep improving in attack and keep scoring more goals,” he added. Fede Valverde praised his teammates who came off the bench, ultimately driving Real Madrid to victory against Rayo Vallecano.
“We were playing well, dominating possession, but, indeed, we weren’t creating many clear-cut chances. I believe the energy, the changes the manager made, with players coming on eager to perform, was exactly what the team needed. Everyone pulling in the same direction, focused, working at 100%. The teammates who came off the bench demonstrated this; they were crucial in changing the course of the match and securing the win,” he highlighted.
Finally, Valverde welcomed the upcoming two weeks in February, when Real Madrid will play only league matches, allowing ample time for training and working on concepts with Alvaro Arbeloa. “We will work to our utmost; we are willing to do whatever the manager asks and to listen to him. We need to work tactically and physically for what’s ahead in the season, for the most important and most exciting challenges we’ll be fighting for,” he concluded.
