Baraja: "We must have humility but also be ambitious"

Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja spoke to the media ahead of his side's Matchday 35 game against Real Madrid, which takes place at Mestalla on Sunday evening.

The kind of match he expects

I am expecting a typical Real Madrid: A competitive team that, regardless of the fact that they didn't have a good game the other day in the Champions League, we know how good they are. Wherever they go, they play to win and I expect that tomorrow.

I also hope that Valencia CF give a good showing, in the sense of working well in the game and looking for our chances to win. If we have a very complete game we can have those opportunities.

The centenary of Mestalla

It is a special day. For a stadium like ours to turn one hundred years old, and seeing all the generations that have passed through the ground... there will be families that have seen it all: Their parents, children, grandchildren, grandparents... it is exciting to be here at this moment in time and we would like to make the fans feel that they are the most important asset for the club. I hope that we do that with a victory.

Whether the game is a final

We aren't contemplating the situation of calculating the points we need to stay up. We are focused on our day-to-day work and today our focus on having prepared for the next game, which we are going to play against an excellent team. We have to concentrate on what is down to us, what we are capable of doing. If we do things right, we will have chances. We must have humility but at the same time be ambitious.

The message to the dressing room

The message is the same as always: Prepare well for the next game, be ready to compete and think that depending on what you do in each game, you will have a better or worse situation at the end of the season. We have continued to insist on improving things.

This is the mentality we have and what will make us competitive. I think we are capable of havng a good game and this is the idea tomorrow. The word relaxation does not make any sense at this time and must be put to one side. Every game is important, every point is fundamental and we have to work to avoid being where we don't want to be.

The atmosphere

I hope that the atmosphere at Mestalla is explosive in every way. In other games the kick-off time was very bad and I expect a great atmosphere tomorrow. It has been essential to have the fans with us, and tomorrow I expect the stadium to be a pressure cooker.

It has been since I've got here, but tomorrow I hope so for even more reasons: The kick-off time, it being a Sunday, the opponents... tomorrow I expect much more. I get tired of asking our fans for things but I would love for Mestalla to be like in the big occasions tomorrow.

I understand that when you win you start to speculate but we aren't straying from the script: We are only focusing on preparing for the next game well. We demand more from ourselves every day.

We demand attitude, know what this game means to us and want to compete well. We cannot let ourselves be affected by things that make us lose focus.

The defensive plan

We are going to work as we have been doing. We have players out, and other members of the squad will replace Diakhaby and Paulista. We expect a good version of the side and that they live up to what interests us tomorrow.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti

He is an example to follow in every way and a point of reference for us all. Not only because of what he was as a player but also as a coach: How he manages squads, how he has been at big clubs and has always achieved success. He is also calm. I have great admiration for Ancelotti.

His motivation having beaten Real Madrid as a player

We have to be extra motivated, not just because we are up against Real Madrid: We are playing in front of our fans and we need to win. From my experience as a player, I know that we have to do great things: Compete well, pay attention to details and believe that we can have a good game and win.

Playing with Diego López and Alberto Marí or the veteran players

We try to field the starting XI that we feel is most competitive. From one game to another, due to injury or suspension, there are always variations.

Tomorrow we have to compete to the fullest from minute 1 to minute 97. Whether it's the starting XI and the five that come on afterwards, we are going to need them all. When you make a modification the players have to carry it out and help you. We are all important.

The breakthrough of the young players

When you have a team like ours, that is young and with certain characteristics -you have to have energy and fresh legs- it's always positive. This increases the competition for positions. When a player does well, it forces others to push themselves.

This demand makes everyone give a little more and when we all give more it makes the team stronger at a competitive level. Whoever comes in, the level is high and that gives us the possibility of picking up points in each game.