Canales clings to qualification hope

Valencia midfielder Sergio Canales says there is still all to play for in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with PSG.

La Liga outfit Valencia suffered a 2-1 home defeat to the French giants in the first leg on Tuesday, with Adil Rami’s last-minute strike and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s red card renewing their hopes after they trailed 2-0 late in the match.

“It’s a bad result for us but we have hope. We knew they had quality up front and they showed that,” Canales told reporters after the game.

“There is still a lot left in this tie and – even though we know it will be difficult – we will look to score early over there to give ourselves a chance.”

Head coach Ernesto Valverde also spoke about the challenge his side overturning a first-leg defeat.

“We have to recognise that our opponent is a great team with great players and they have shown their strength,” the 49-year old said.

“In the end we managed to score that goal and that gives us some hope but we know that the return (fixture) will be difficult.”