Valverde: Real Madrid had a poor run in LaLiga but they're back

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde appeared before the press this Friday to analyse and give his reaction to his team's upcoming LaLiga Santander match against Valencia this Sunday at the Camp Nou.

The press conference comes just hours after Barcelona were drawn against Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey.

"Valencia are once again looking very good in front of goal," Valverde told the press.

"It reminds me of how they were last year; they started the season in fine form.

"Their approach has been very similar this year and they look a lot more confident in front of goal and they are taking their chances and climbing up the table.

On their Copa del Rey tie against Madrid

"It will be a great tie between two great teams who at are both fighting to win LaLiga Santander and the Champions League," he said.

"All of this makes for an excellent spectacle for both the teams and the fans alike.

"It is bound to be a fascinating tie and it will be interesting to see who makes it through to the final.

"They were going through a poor run of form in the league but they have turned it around and we know that it will be a tough match," he added.

On Jean-Clair Tobido

"He is a player that we were originally going to sign next year but given the circumstances at his old club," Valverde stated.

"We decided to finalise the deal in January so that he can get to know his new teammates and our style of play.

"It is no secret that we were short of central defenders for a while. Now we have five.

"The signing of Tobido will have no bearing on Jeison Murillo's future, all it will do is serve to give him a bit of competition," he added.

Thoughts on fixture backlog

"This week we have three games in six days and the following week we will have another three games in eight days," he said.

"After our game against Athletic Club, we will have a week to recuperate which will help.

"We will continue to monitor who needs a rest and hopefully we will not pick up any injuries along the way.

"Our run of fixtures is tough but we have known about this for three weeks so we have had time to prepare.

"Having said all that, we know we have a duty to make sure we do not lose any ground in our pursuit for the LaLiga Santander title," Valverde added.

Dembele's injury

"It is still too soon to say whether he will be in the fold," he said.

"We will keep monitoring his progress and see how he is on Monday or Tuesday."