Delgado: Basel always had Valencia win in them

Matías Delgado scored twice in five first-half minutes to set FC Basel 1893 on their way to a 3-0 UEFA Europa League quarter-final first-leg win against Valencia CF and said: "It's not incredible for us." Fabian Schär, back after a long injury absence, did think they took Valencia by surprise, not that Paco Alcácer is giving up the tie yet, feeling the scoreline was lop-sided due to the added-time third goal.

Matías Delgado, Basel midfielder
It's not incredible for us. We believed that we could do something like that, for sure. Maybe we didn't think about winning 3-0, but our team beat Chelsea, these lads have a lot of experience with big teams – you can see it, you can feel it. I think the surprise was that I scored twice, this is the surprise.

I don't want to just score goals and nothing else – I want to play well too. Today I scored two, but there is a lot to improve, especially on a physical level. I am happy that the team won.

It was a fantastic performance. I think we tried to give even more with the team without the fans in the stadium. We did exactly that from the start, and so we managed to achieve a good advantage for the return leg.

Fabian Schär, Basel defender
I guess they were pretty surprised as well, how strongly we played. They didn't really manage to get into the match. We played very well in attack and managed to score goals, which was important and the basis [for the return leg].

I think it is a great advantage we're taking with us into the return leg, we scored three goals and didn't concede. We can travel there with a good feeling, but we know it will be difficult. You could see in the second half that Valencia can play some good football. And they will surely give their best in front of their crowd. 

Of course after being sidelined for three months you are not totally fit again, so I felt slight muscular problems, but it is nothing to worry about, and it was just a precaution [being substituted]. 

Paco Alcácer, Valencia forward
This is [one] to forget. We didn't play our football, a lot less than that. In the second half we responded. We had a lot of chances and were better than our opponents. In the end, having attacked so much, they scored from a counterattack, and that didn't reflect the game.

But we have to think that we can get a result [in the second leg], believing that it's possible. If we are negative, we won't have any chance. We have to be positive and try to turn things around until the final minute.