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"A victory would give us a push"

Diego López expects a difficult match played on Friday against Athletic Club

Diego López was one of the protagonists last Saturday against Valladolid. The goalkeeper saved a penalty just before half time that allowed the team to maintain their chances to win the match. "Jesus Salvador (goalkeeper coach) gives me information and we also do our studies. It was fortunate to save the penalty and start the second half with options", he said. In fact, the Galician is the only player in the squad that has played every minute. "I had the opportunity and the confidence to have played all the matches. In any case, the mister trusts everyone and that benefits the whole group", he said.

Thinking of the league commitment against Athletic Club, the goalkeeper said that he expects a match "tough, of duels, of race, very intense. We will try to do our best and try to make a good game in Bilbao". The keeper insisted that a victory "would give us a push to face the final stretch of the season. We have to improve to climb positions and I think it motivates a lot to play in this type of ground. It is a very difficult opponent in its field, but it is a great motivation to play against this type of rivals". Diego Lopez said that it will be "very difficult" and he stated that "if Athletic is up, it's because they are performing well. I always face matches with hope and optimism. Sometimes it has cost us more against teams that were below us than those above us. We had difficult starts and receive powerful teams. We afford all matches with optimism".

Diego Lopez, who has regretted the long-term injuries of Piatti and David Lopez, thinks that Friday is a "great opportunity" for those players who have had less minutes during the season: "It's a good opportunity for them to try their best".