Patience key to Valencia``s comeback chances, says Pizzi

Madrid: Patience and intensity will be crucial if Valencia are to overturn a 2-0 deficit in Thursday`s Europa League semi-final, second leg at home to La Liga rivals Sevilla, coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said.

First-half goals from Stephane Mbia and Carlos Bacca in last week`s first leg at the Sanchez Pizjuan gave Sevilla a handy advantage ahead of the return at the Mestalla as the Spanish rivals seek a place in the final in Turin on May 14. Valencia will be looking for a performance to match their comeback from 3-0 down against Swiss side Basel in the quarter-finals and Pizzi urged his players not to let their anxiety get the better of them. "I think that in Seville we deserved to score the odd goal with the opportunities we created," Pizzi told a news conference on Wednesday. "The key to a comeback is to have patience and persevere, play with an intensity that is beyond our limits," added the Argentina-born former striker. "If we do that there will come a moment in the match when we will have chances and the certainty to take them. "But above all calm and patience, the goals can be scored in a very short space of time." Sevilla, who won Europe`s second-tier club competition in 2006 and 2007 when it was called the UEFA Cup, would be approaching Thursday`s match as if it was still 0-0, according to goalkeeper Beto. "The worst thing we can do is relax because of the advantage we have," he said on Sevilla`s website (www.sevillafc.es). "We want to take the game to Valencia, look for a positive result and forget about what happened in the first leg," added the Portuguese. "We have to prepare well so there are no surprises, so we are very responsible, as we are a step away from something very nice and we have to seize the chance with everything we have." The winners of the tie will play Turin-based Juventus or Benfica in the final. Benfica have a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Portugal.