"It's going to be a fight to the finish against Sevilla and a few other teams until the end of the season"

André Gomes was on triple duty this Wednesday, training in the morning and afternoon at the Ciudad Deportiva with his teammates, then facing the media on his own. The midfielder previewed this weekend’s fixture against Sevilla (Mestalla, Sunday 21:00).

"It's an important game this weekend. It's going to be a fight to the finish against Sevilla and a few other teams until the end of the season,” he said, warning that “Sevilla are not the only big rival we have. The important thing is that we have the mentality to win, which is what we seek to do in every game and what is essential to taking the three points against a direct rival."

"Every game is important, and it is important to beat the rivals who are close to you, although there are many games and the second half of the season is just beginning. It is essential to be in winning form and get the three points."

Whilst he was not part of the VCF side eliminated from the Europa League by Sevilla (although he was a player on the Benfica team who lost to them in the final of the competition), Gomes is aware that there is a particular rivalry between the two clubs.

"We respect every team and every game is a big deal to us, but there are some that more special, such as against Sevilla –because they are a team who are close to us in the standings. Our only concern is to win; we have worked hard to be able to perform to our best and get the three points, which will help us to distance ourselves from rival clubs.”



"The Spanish league, as I said when I arrived, is a great competition. Sevilla are definitely not our single big rival, as there are four Champions League places available and we want one of them. We will do everything possible to keep picking up three points from every game. Against Sevilla we begin on the path to the conquest of one of those Champions League spots."

With no cup competition to distract them, some have suggested Valencia CF could be contenders for third place in La Liga. Gomes is not ruling anything out.

"We’re not going to think that anything is impossible, but we know that Atletico Madrid are the current champions. The important thing is to pick ourselves up for the disappointment of the cup and launch ourselves into the campaign for Champions League qualification. We’ll see what happens at the end season. "

As this weekend marks the start of the second half of the season, it is a good time to compare the team to that which began the campaign. Journalists asked the midfielder for his analysis.



"I honestly can’t say what we lack at the moment -perhaps a little luck. At first we were winning well and we tried to keep doing that, but in Spain there are great teams and they are starting to know us better,” he assessed. “The important thing is to win and play well, maintaining a winning mentality. In terms of tactical changes, all the players are intelligent and must adapt and think of the big picture. It's good for the team to have some changes and a little more versatility. The other teams that were beginning to figure us out, now don’t know how we play; that can be good for us.”

"It's a matter of adaptation. All players try to adapt to what is asked of them. I do my best for the team. I know that my natural position is in the middle, but for me the important thing is that the team do well and that we adapt to what the manager asks of us," he concluded.