Betis goalkeeper Valles on Lille clash: Hopes to replicate result against Real Madrid

Real Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League match against Lille. He said the team does not need to set a results ceiling for this season's Champions League campaign at this stage, and the most important thing is to fight for points from the first round.

Speaking about Betis' Champions League target this season, Valles said: "We have not even started playing yet, so there is no point in setting a ceiling for ourselves now. What we need to think about is continuing to earn points from the first round onwards."

Valles also spoke about his attitude toward conceding goals: "Whether someone scores five goals against me or one goal, I will be annoyed. Conceding goals makes me angry, but I am happy that I can help the team. I think the most important thing is the whole team and getting the three points."

Regarding the fact that many Betis players are about to experience the Champions League for the first time in their careers, Valles said: "For many of us, this is our first time participating in this competition. We are very excited and full of anticipation. We know the importance of this competition, and we are looking forward to starting the match tomorrow and doing things well."

Talking about Betis' previous Champions League appearance, Valles recalled: "I have to think back. I was very young at the time, probably only seven or eight years old. When I grew up, I watched some videos of those matches. Now I have the same anticipation as a child, and I hope we can surpass the team's previous Champions League performance."

Valles was also asked about Lille's attacking players, especially Kylian Mbappe's younger brother. He said: "I know I will face Mbappe's younger brother. I know he is a very important player in Lille's attack, and he has excellent individual technique."

He then mentioned Betis' previous match against Real Madrid and said with a smile: "Of course I hope we can replicate the result we achieved against Real Madrid, which was a win. However, if there is no penalty awarded this time, that would be even better."

Regarding how to study Lille's attackers before the match, Valles said this is part of a goalkeeper's preparation: "Of course we analyze the opponents' attacking players and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Whether it is Giroud or other attackers, we will analyze them."