SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Valencia making bid to beat Bayern Munich and progress in Champions League

Record ID: 254914

  • Title: SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Valencia making bid to beat Bayern Munich and progress in Champions League
  • Date: 19th November 2012
  • Summary: VALENCIA, SPAIN (NOVEMBER 19, 2012) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) BAYERN MUNICH PLAYERS TRAINING AT MESTALLA STADIUM COACH JUPP HEYNCKES DIRECTING SESSION MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS WARMING UP MIDFIELDER JAVIER MARTINEZ WARMING UP FORWARD FRANCK RIBERY STRETCHING RIBERY WARMING UP CLOSE OF RIBERY / MARTINEZ WARMING UP HEYNCKES AT SESSION RIBERY STRETCHING PLAYERS STRETCHING GOALKEEPER MANUEL NEUER TRAINING HEYNCKES DIRECTING SESSION RIBERY TRAINING MIDFIELDER BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER TRAINING MARTINEZ TRAINING BAYERN CAPTAIN PHILIPP LAHM TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING SCHWEINSTEIGER TRAINING RIBERY RAISING HIS SOCK VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TRAINING RIBERY KIDDING VALENCIA COACH MAURICIO PELLEGRINO ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA COACH MAURICIO PELLEGRINO, SAYING: "Tomorrow we can book a spot as first seeds. It would be fantastic. We have nothing to fear." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA COACH MAURICIO PELLEGRINO, SAYING: "It is a team (Bayern Munich) that manage very well the game both with the ball and without the ball. They are very dangerous in the two aspects. Above all we need to avoid the same errors we did in the first match because at moments, when the team was playing well, when we were well positioned and went high on the field; we had our chances." VALENCIA STRIKER NELSON VALDEZ ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) VALENCIA STRIKER NELSON VALDEZ, SAYING: TRANSLATION BY SPEAKER "Yes of course Bayern Munich have changed in the last year. In the last five years they haven't been very regular, Borussia Dortmund won the league but this season they have prove to be strong, a great team and that is why they lead the Bundesliga by eight points." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS . (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA STRIKER NELSON VALDEZ, SAYING: "In the last three Champions League matches we have proven we have the level to be among the best teams in Europe. It depends on us, that is the beautiful part of football, tomorrow depends on us. In the last game Bayern Munich played away and it is not the same as when they play at home." PHOTOGRAPHER PELLEGRINO LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7FRD08ICJXW4SRNVU1PP348BK
  • Story Text: We have nothing to fear says Valencia coach

    Valencia has nothing to fear, said coach Mauricio Pellegrino on Monday (November 19).
    The Argentine coach showed confidence in a news conference ahead their Champions League clash against runner-ups Bayern Munich.
    "Tomorrow we can book a spot as first seeds. It would be fantastic. We have nothing to fear," the Valencia coach said.
    Having lost against the Germans, 2-1, in match-day one, Pellegrino believes his side have learnt from the first match.
    "It is a team (Bayern Munich) that manage very well the game both with the ball and without the ball. They are very dangerous in the two aspects. Above all we need to avoid the same errors we did in the first match because at moments, when the team was playing well, when we were well positioned and went high on the field we had our chances," he said
    Valencia coach Mauricio Pellegrino has yet to win over the La Liga club's demanding fans but a good performance at home to old foes Bayern Munich in Champions League Group F on Tuesday would help ease pressure on the softly-spoken Argentine.
    His erratic side snatched a 2-1 La Liga win at home to Espanyol on Saturday thanks to Roberto Soldado's late penalty and they are level on nine points with group leaders Bayern and well placed to progress to the last 16.
    Former Valencia player Pellegrino, who replaced Unai Emery as coach at the end of last season, was denied by Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn in the penalty shootout that decided the 2001 final and he is well aware of the precariousness of his current position in the results-orientated modern game.
    Bayern have lost to Valencia only once in eight meetings, a 3-0 reverse in Spain in the first leg of a UEFA Cup first-round tie in the 1996-97 season.
    Asked about Bayern's performance, Valencia's striker Nelson Valdez said the Germans have drastically improved in the last season.
    "Yes of course Bayern Munich have changed in the last year. In the last five years they haven't been very regular, Borussia Dortmund won the league but this season they have prove to be strong, a great team and that is why they lead the Bundesliga by eight points," the Paraguayan said.
    The former Borussia Dortmund player, who scored one goal on his team defeat in Munich, believes Valencia has proved to be among the best teams in Europe.
    "In the last three Champions League matches we have proven we have the level to be among the best teams in Europe. It depends on us, that is the beautiful part of football, tomorrow depends on us. In the last game Bayern Munich played away and it is not the same as when they play at home," he said.
    Pellegrino will be missing left back Jeremy Mathieu, midfielder Fernando Gago and Argentine winger Pablo Piatti.
    Mario Gomez and Franck Ribery travelled to Valencia as both continue their recovery from injury.
    Netherlands winger Arjen Robben, who was a team mate of Valencia midfielder Fernando Gago at Real Madrid in 2007-2009, is unavailable after he sustained a thigh injury in last week's friendly against Germany.
    Bayern Munich holding midfielder Luiz Gustavo underwent groin surgery on Monday (November 19) as his team departed for Valencia ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game, the club said.
    Gustavo last played in the league game against Hamburg SV two weeks ago and had been nursing the injury ever since.
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