Eibar vs Valencia preview - Dream come true for Albentosa

Posted Friday, December 19, 2014 by PA

Eibar defender Raul Albentosa admits he is fulfilling a dream by playing against his boyhood heroes Valencia.

Albentosa was a key component of Eibar's Segunda Division title success last season and has helped the unfashionable Basque club into the top half of the Primera Division this term.

"For seven or eight years I went with my parents to Mestalla to watch the games," Albentosa told the official Eibar website before Valencia's visit to the Ipurua on Saturday evening.

"It is a dream for me to play against Valencia."

Eibar bowed out of the Copa Del Rey to Getafe on Wednesday but they have taken seven points from three league matches since losing 4-0 at home to Real Madrid last month.

Valencia lie fifth and are in free-scoring form having beaten Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in the league last weekend before drawing 4-4 against the same opposition to secure their Copa Del Rey progress.

"We'll have to work hard to get something," Albentosa said.

"They have top players with international experience and it will be very difficult for us, so we have to fight to get the win."

Valencia defender Jose Luis Gaya believes Los Che must improve their away form if they are to finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place.

"We have to learn from what happened at Deportivo (where Valencia lost 3-0)," teenage full-back Gaya told a press call before the Eibar game.

"Against Levante we played better, but we couldn't win. Away from home we must try to turn our situation around.

"Winning games away from home is a challenge but we're Valencia and we'll give everything we've got trying to take the three points.

"The aim for myself and the team is to get ourselves into the Champions League.

"We're fighting to finish the year up near the top end of La Liga but, as I've already said at the start of the season, it's how we finish the season that matters most."