Valencia striker Juan Mata said last Thursday that the time has come for his side to show they can be title hopefuls in Spain.
Valencia currently top the Primera Liga, but have yet to face any of the so-called big four of Sevilla, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villarreal.
With the way the fixture has worked out this season, nearly every team in Spain plays the big clubs in that order.
Valencia play Racing Santander in match day nine on Saturday night and don’t play any of the big four until they visit Sevilla on Nov. 23 and Mata wants to test his side’s title credentials sooner rather than later.
“I think the team is looking good and we are all highly focused. However, we want to see our true level playing against the big sides,” said Mata on the club website.
“The 25 players in our squad are all committed to the side and we want the fans to get behind us to keep us at 100 percent,” added the young forward.
Mata also gave his support to the tactic of coach Unai Emery of rotating his starting line-up to ensure the players remain as fresh as possible.
“I think it is very positive that the coach does that. It is always good for the players to have a rest to help avoid injuries. It also helps other players get up to speed and that also means we are all involved,” said Mata.
Latest News: Valencia got beaten yesterday by Racing Santander 2-4 at the Mestalla stadium
