SAMPAOLI: "PSV IS AN EXTREMELY WELL-PREPARED TEAM, EVEN FOR A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEVEL."

Jorge Sampaoli accompanied Jesús Navas at the official UEFA press conference on Wednesday, ahead of tomorrow's clash against PSV. The Argentinian commented on the opposition, saying that "based on what they have done in the group stage, they are a group that is extremely well prepared, even to play in the Champions League."

"They have great players that make them a team not only to respect, but also that we have to be careful of in many respects. Tomorrow, at home, we have an opportunity and an enthusiasm to compete against such a good team."

On expectations in the UEL, he made it clear that we have to bear in mind that the team is still in the process of developing a style and that we can't forget about La Liga: "We know that in the unstable situation that we are navigating at the moment, we have to achieve consistency and then see where we are going."

"We haven't yet achieved a level of consistency to know where we stand against such well-prepared opponents. We also have to think about Sunday's match with not much rest, and also with the need to take points because of what the team has been going through."

"We know that we have to play with people who are at 100 per cent fitness despite the good performance in the last game against Mallorca. All these considerations are what we're putting on the table to come up with the best eleven for tomorrow and to get a win on Sunday that would put us in control of our position in La Liga."

"Tomorrow, at home, we have an opportunity and an enthusiasm to compete against such a good team"

And on some of the other sides in the competition: "Barcelona are performing at a very high level, Manchester United, and even more so Arsenal... You look at them in the same vein as finalists in the Champions League. That makes the competition we are in even more exciting."

"PSV are also a great team, who have been selling a lot recently because they have created some good talent thanks to their behaviour as a club and their competitiveness. For me, winning means everything, but in all honesty, I'm only thinking about these two games. To think that we can give more importance to anything other than La Liga seems crazy to me."

Asked about Rafa Mir's role, Sampaoli made it clear that everyone is needed: "Rafa is part of the squad and will surely have to be ready when it's his time to play. Jesús Navas shouldn't have played the previous game because of the medical recommendations, but we need everyone. We have to put our heart into it because the club needs that.

And back to PSV, he was asked about their strengths: "They are a team that strikes a lot during transitions, they press well at the start and we will need to have a good start. They have very influential strikers and De Jong is a real force. He can score at any moment of the game. There are a lot of big names in a team that has been impressive in recent times."

Finally, he confirmed Alex Telles' return to the squad: "He's developed quite well over the last two days. I don't know how long he'll be able to play tomorrow, but emotionally it would be good for him to be in the squad for Sunday or the return leg in Eindhoven. Being in the squad also has to do with the rapport within the team and with the analysis of the match. In that respect, the player was very quick to agree."