Valencia star looking to haunt former club Real Madrid at the Bernabeu – ‘I hope to score again’ | OneFootball

Valencia’s rising star Diego Lopez has made his intentions clear ahead of their upcoming clash against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 22-year-old, who has emerged as a crucial player for Valencia, hopes to replicate a memorable moment from two seasons ago when he scored his first top-flight goal against Los Blancos.

Back then, Lopez was still making his way through Valencia’s reserve team, but his decisive strike against Real Madrid resulted in a surprise victory for the Valencians. Fast forward to today, and Lopez is an undisputed starter.

Want to score against Real Madrid

Speaking ahead of the encounter, Lopez expressed his desire to find the back of the net once more against his former club’s senior side.

“It’s only been two years, but the change is big. There, I had played four or five games in the First Division; now, I’ve played many more.

Diego Lopez wants to score against Real Madrid. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“I hope it happens again on Saturday and I score again against Real Madrid, although if we win it’s enough for me, as if they want to score in their own goal,” Lopez stated as quoted by SPORT.

Playing at Santiago Bernabeu

While the previous goal came at the Mestalla, this time Lopez will face the daunting challenge of scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu—an arena where Valencia has not tasted victory since 2008.

Despite the intimidating setting, Lopez remains undaunted, emphasising that the size of the pitch and the number of players on it remain unchanged.

“The Bernabeu is the Bernabeu, but where we play is a field with almost the same dimensions.

“We are still playing 11 against 11, and we have to focus on what happens on the pitch even though the stadium is very nice and the stands are full,” he added.

The upcoming fixture holds additional weight for Lopez, who spent his formative years at Real Madrid’s academy before making his mark elsewhere.

For Valencia, securing a positive result at the Bernabéu would be a massive boost, especially considering their struggles away from home against Real Madrid.

As a former Real Madrid academy player, scoring at the Bernabeu would be especially sweet for Lopez. But for Valencia, any result that sees them leave Madrid with points would be considered a success.