Celades: "We paid for a lack of finishing, but the comeback is possible"

Valencia CF coach Albert Celades reflected on a tough night at San Siro, assessing his team's defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League Last 16 first leg.

The game
"We knew about the attacking potential of our opponents, and it's true that we can't make so many mistakes in defence, but in the end the key was our lack of effectiveness up top. The result is a hefty one, and doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch."

Stopping counters
"If we had managed to score goals, then everything would have changed. We struggled to stop the counterattacks, above all in the first half. Within that defensive weakness came the result, through our lack of effectiveness. We had a lot of very clear chances in both the first and second half. Without exagerrating, we could have scored four goals and everything would have been different. They were very effective, they scored four goals and we only got one from the many chances that we created."

The return tie at Mestalla
"When the second leg comes around we will prepare very well for it. We are stronger at home, with the support of our fans, and we need to face the game with the best mentality possible in order to get through it."

Chances of a fightback
"I don't think that it would be a miracle if we go through, and the comeback is possible. It's a very tough result for what we saw on the pitch. If we had been more clinical in front of goal, the result would have been different. Now we have to prepare well for the second leg at Mestalla."