Paulista: "Tuesday will be very important if we want to keep making history"

The Valencia CF squad are hyping themselves up for a huge Champions League game against Lille on Tuesday, and Gabriel Paulista is no exception. The defender spoke with VCF Media on Sunday to look ahead to the game, which will have a big impact on the club's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

The boost from the win against Espanyol
"The win against Espanyol was very hard fought. It was a very difficult place to visit. It's best to come into a Champions League game with confidence, and this team have a lot of confidence. I think that the game against Lille will be the most important match of the season so far. With the support of our fans, who are sure to be behind us as always, we're going to look for the three points."

The welcome prepared by the fans
"This game on Tuesday will be very important for us if we want to continue making history. The fans are always behind us and always help us a lot. When you come out of the hotel there are some fans in the entrance. Their presence helps us and gives us strength. The reaction on our arrival at Mestalla makes us feel good and makes us work better. It gives you more desire to run and fight. I like it a lot. The reaction in the warmup gets you more into the game."

Two home games at Mestalla in Europe
"The fans are always behind us and help us a lot. Sometimes you concede and, with their support, you get back into the game, like we saw against Sevilla FC. There was a phase in that game in which Sevilla had control, but suddenly it changed, we scored and the fans spurred us on. I think that Tuesday's game will be the same. The fans will be motivating us from the warmup onwards, and they will help us with our objective of earning the three points."

Targetting the knockout stages
"If we want to be in the next stage of the Champions League, we need to win both of our games at Mestalla against Lille and Chelsea. They will be two very difficult games. We'll be playing at home, and we have to show character. We are going for those six points, which will be very important for us."

The danger posed by Lille
"They have players who can decide games, like Osimhen, who is a strong, fast striker. We have players with high quality who can also decide matches. We are at home, and we have to play much better than we did in France. We need to have a lot of personality when on the ball. We have to attack decisively and look for goals. When we have to defend, we have to do it with a lot of attention. The start of the game will be important, and we will have to pressure them and try to score the first goal."

The importance of the Champions League
"It's every player's dream to play in a league like this. It's the best league in the world. It's different. The atmosphere is completely different. When you hear the Champions League anthem, it puts butterflies in your stomach. It excites you."

Commitment to the club
"When I play for a club, I represent them to the end. I've suffered a lot in my life. I had a tough life. Now I have the opportunity to give a better life to my family.

"I don't know if I'm going to play well in every game. It's impossible to do that. But I'll never stop running or fighting to help my teammates and represent the club. I'll never do that. That's who I am. I'm always going to fight."

The famous photo of a bloodied Paulista against Getafe CF
"When I received the knock, I knew I was hurt, but I wanted to carry on. I wanted to keep playing and to keep fighting. I saw the photo later on and I saw the blood. The doctor didn't want me to play on, and I was arguing with him about it.

"My family -my mother and brothers- wrote to me to say how proud they were, to see that I wanted to keep fighting despite being bloodied. I told them that it was something I'd learned from my mother. She showed me to be a warrior -a fighter. That picture is going to stay in my mind for many years."