Unai Emery: Stopping Cristiano Ronaldo is key

Unai Emery
© PA Photos
Unai Emery has said that stopping Cristiano Ronaldo is the key to beating Real Madrid.

The Valencia boss, whose side make the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu tonight, insists that the club must prioritise stopping the former Manchester United man in order to get a result and maintain their grip on third place.

"[Cristiano] has scored 35 goals," he said. "Keeping a hold on him has to be one of our targets. We have to be optimistic.

"We said that third place was not going to be a simple achievement, but we believe we have the strength to remain there and not be scared if we lose it in a given moment."

Meanwhile, Valencia have progressed to the semi-finals of the Europa League after beating AZ Alkmaar earlier this week.
Tables
TeamPGDPTS
1Barcelona367094
2Real Madrid365981
3Atletico Madrid363272
4Real Sociedad362062
5Valencia361362
6Malaga36454
7Real Betis36-352
8Rayo Vallecano36-1749
9Sevilla36447
10Getafe36-1147
11Espanyol36-644
12Athletic Bilbao36-2044
13Real Valladolid36-543
14Levante36-1842
15Granada36-1839
16Osasuna36-1636
17Deportivo La Coruna36-2035
18Real Zaragoza36-1934
19Mallorca36-3132
20Celta Vigo36-1831