Mina: "We've put Valencia CF back where the club deserve to be through hard work"

Santi Mina scored his 13th goal of the season in the game against Alavés, putting his side into the lead for the first time in an eventual 3-1 win at Mestalla. It was a highly positive evening for Valencia CF, who moved into fourth place due to their victory and results at other grounds.

"We are very happy. Firstly because of the match and the team's attitude in overcoming the adversity of Alavés' opening goal," reflected Mina after the final whistle.

"They came out strong, as they were playing to get into Europe, but we never dropped our heads and we turned the scoreline around."

"Secondly, we're pleased because Barça's win against Getafe means that our future is in our own hands, and we will go to Valladolid determined to give everything we have to qualify for the Champions League."

Qualification for Europe's top club competition was almost unthinkable at the start of 2019, but Valencia CF have had an incredible second half to the season.

"When the game against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu finished, people asked me if there was enough time for us to reach the Champions League spots, and I said yes," recalls the striker.

"This dressing room was never dead, and we've put Valencia CF back where the club deserve to be through hard work. It was really important that we never crumbled; we knew that there were going to be bad moments."

Mina and his teammates were focusing on their own game against Alavés whilst on the pitch, but they couldn't help but learn of results elsewhere from the crowd reaction.

"The fans celebrated Barça's second goal, but the main thing was to win and wait for Getafe's result. The results went our way, and we head to Valladolid with all the ambition in the world to earn fourth place."

It will be the final league game of a packed calendar for the players, who are putting fatigue to one side for a last push.

"We've been playing three games a week for many months, which is a lot of kilometres accumulated. We are physically and mentally tired, but this is LaLiga and we have to fight to get into the Champions League," concluded the Galician goalscorer.