Valencia FC will go into tomorrow’s LaLiga EA Sports meeting with Real Sociedad with the same squad that faced Alavés in Vitoria, according to Óscar Sánchez. It is a straightforward selection call, but one that fits the wider message coming out of the club: keep improving, keep the group together, and give Mestalla a team it can recognise.
Sánchez said that the side made “a step forward” in Vitoria, while stressing that the next challenge is to build on that work rather than stop there. In his view, the task is not only about results. It is also about showing the supporters a clear identity and rebuilding the connection between the squad and the stands.
The same group, with no changes
The key team news is simple. Sánchez confirmed that “everyone is fit” and that Valencia CF will name the same squad as against Alavés in Vitoria. That includes Luis Rioja, who completed training on the day and did not worsen the pain he has been managing.
Rioja remains determined to be involved, even while playing through discomfort. For Valencia, that matters because consistency is often the first thing a side needs when it is trying to settle itself and move forward. Keeping the same squad is also a sign that Sánchez sees more value in continuity than in disruption at this stage.
Mestalla and the need for a recognisable team
Sánchez was just as clear about the atmosphere he wants to create at Mestalla. He said that when the stadium is making noise, it becomes “something extraordinary” and something that wins matches. But he also made it plain that the responsibility starts with the team.
“We are the ones who have to light the fuse,” he said, adding that Valencia must help supporters “regain their faith and excitement about the team.” That is a familiar message at a club where the bond between the crowd and the players has always mattered, but it is still an important one. If Valencia want Mestalla to become a real advantage again, they first need to offer the fans a side that looks committed, connected and hungry.
That is why Sánchez kept returning to the idea of a “recognisable team.” It is not just about shape or selection. It is about attitude, clarity and giving the crowd enough reason to believe that the improvement seen in Vitoria can continue.
Confidence, ambition and the wider picture
The coach also touched on broader expectations, saying that everyone has ambitions and wants to keep moving forward, while making clear that he is focused only on tomorrow. There were also references to coaching speculation involving Javier Aguirre and to future ambitions for Sánchez, but his public stance was to look no further than the next match.
That is a sensible position. For Valencia CF, the immediate issue is not long-range planning but whether the team can turn one encouraging performance into a proper run of momentum. Real Sociedad will provide another useful test, and Sánchez’s unchanged squad suggests he wants continuity to do the work.
If Valencia can back up the step forward from Vitoria with another disciplined display, the message from this selection will look justified. If not, the talk about improvement will remain exactly that: talk, rather than something the supporters can truly feel.
