Valencia coach Carlos Corberán held a press conference before the clash against Real Betis, praising the green-white team's level and stressing the need for concentration at Mestalla. After a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in their league opener, Valencia will face its first away game by visiting Betis.
During the conference, Pablo Maffeo was introduced, having just arrived in the Turia capital. Corberán highlighted the importance of the academy and the possibility of using VCF youth players to strengthen the squad: "Matches have needs and our decisions align with them. I’m delighted to have academy players to help the team."
The coach also answered questions about player availability. Regarding De Haas he said he is still undergoing tests and that it "doesn’t look like a simple sprain," while confirming that Rioja, after training with the group, could be available. On Diakhaby he expressed confidence, and about Danjuma he noted that "the more interest there is in VCF players, the better the news for us, meaning you have good footballers."
Corberán praised Real Betis, noting that the team "has been doing things well for a while, will play Champions, will be a demanding match and the team will respond to that demand with an absolute desire to win." He added that Betis "likes to move fast, counter-attack and keep the ball," and that their ability to exploit spaces and create danger when regaining possession will force the Valencians to maintain a high concentration level.
A major concern for Valencia is the schedule in the first week of competition. Corberán said his team will face the match in a disadvantageous situation due to the short recovery time between games: "The only team that will play a match, two days and a match, is Valencia CF. We’ll play under unequal conditions. 24 hours less with only two days between a match is a 33 % difference in physical recovery… The VCF is disadvantaged."
Despite this, the Valencian coach expects Mestalla to be a decisive factor: "We are always the first to give our best. The team is eager to play a good match and bring joy to the fans. We all want to win."
The game also offers an opportunity for Valencia to improve the feelings shown in their opener against Celta, while Corberán will aim for a win that strengthens his relationship with a fan base that has already shown discontent with the coach during pre-season. Opposing them will be a Betis that arrives confident after beating Real Sociedad and will seek to extend its good form at Mestalla. Since the arrival of the Chilean coach, the green-whites have recorded three wins, one draw and two losses in this setting, although the last victory came in 2024, when they won 1-2. After two seasons without winning on Valencian soil, the heliopolitan side will try to regain the winning path and secure six points from six at the start of the championship.
