Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde is content with a tough battle against Barcelona

Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde was happy with a point against his former club Barcelona on Sunday night as they held the Blaugrana out in a 0-0 draw at San Mames. The Basque side were without Dani Vivian and Nico Williams through suspension, and Valverde had made seven changes to the side that beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

“For us it is a great point. We know what it cost us. There were changes, we had to put in the players who played less and we changed the position of Prados. The players responded, we have to evaluate what we have had in front of us, we are happy,” he explained MD.

The game saw just four shots on target from both sides combined, with Joao Cancelo coming closest after his lob was kept out by a double effort by goalkeeper Unai Simon and then Yeray Alvarez on the goal line.

“It was not a game of many chances, but a very tough game, we all finished quite tired from the effort of today and from the week we had. (We are) happy because we played against the champions of the league “.

Despite the series of changes and the absence of several key players, Barcelona find themselves unable to advance in the midfield effectively without Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, according to the habit of the Athletic press. Left-back Imanol Garcia de Albeniz was pleased with the continuity Athletic showed despite their rotations.

“We have no doubt that after Thursday's match we cannot fail against Barça, nor relax. It has also been seen that whoever plays, the team is made and that we are all together.”

While it's never an easy place to go, San Mames has only seen one defeat for Athletic this season in the first game of the year against Real Madrid, but otherwise few sides have faced the atmosphere in Bilbao and the fierce press from Valverde's men.