Valencia vs Rayo Vallecano preview - Santo: No anxiety in squad

Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo insists there is no anxiety amongst his squad as they look to win their first league game in over a month on Saturday.

Rayo Vallecano are the visitors to the Mestalla as Santo's side attempt to keep pace with the top four by picking up their first victory since a 3-1 win at Villarreal on November 2 having taken just two points since.

Despite a poor run, Valencia remain fifth in the Primera Division and Santo wants to see his players turn things around this weekend.

"What we have is a great desire to win," he said at his pre-match press conference.

"It is critical to our objective. We come into this game off a bad result, but there is no anxiety. There is an eagerness to get the game underway, battle and come away with the win."

"What we have always had is a team that fights, that never gives up and who are always looking to score and win. That gives me confidence; the most important thing is the attitude we have at Mestalla in front of our fans."

Vallecano sit 11th in the table and face two trips to Valencia inside a weeks as the two sides meet in the second leg of their Copa Del Rey tie on Tuesday.

Santo's Valencia won 2-1 in Vallecano in the first leg but the Portuguese believes the visitors can cause some problems.

"We know Rayo Vallecano well - we have analysed them again," he added.

"This week we have focused a lot of our work on ourselves, on what we have to improve, on what we have to take advantage of to counter our opponents and what we have to correct.

"Tomorrow we will be up against a team who want to play the game and win, and that's why we have to go for goals."

Vallecano boss Paco Jemez believes the league fixture will present another proposition for his players as they look to bounce back following a 1-0 defeat at home to Sevilla last weekend.

"We face them first in league and the in the cup after," he said.

"There are different connotations and, although being against the same team, the games will not be all alike. They are a good opponent and what we could not get from the game against Sevilla I hope we can take it now."