Valencia manager Javier Aguirre has outlined his team's approach to dealing with Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid ahead of their La Liga encounter at the Mestalla Stadium. The Mexican tactician acknowledged the French forward's exceptional qualities but insisted that his players would focus on containing the entire Madrid team rather than making their defensive plans revolve around one individual.

Real Madrid are expected to arrive in Valencia with considerable confidence after producing strong performances under manager Jose Mourinho. Their quality makes them a difficult opponent, but Aguirre has warned his players against approaching the contest with the belief that defeat is inevitable. Instead, he wants them to remain organised, compete confidently and take advantage of any opportunities that emerge during the match.

Mbappe is expected to be one of the biggest threats facing Valencia. His remarkable speed, intelligent movement, clinical finishing and ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations make him a dangerous opponent. The French international can change the outcome of a match through individual brilliance, and Aguirre is fully aware of the challenge his presence creates.

Speaking ahead of the fixture, the Valencia manager admitted that attempting to stop Mbappe in individual situations would be extremely difficult. He described the forward as a player whose abilities are already well known and explained that Valencia would need to work collectively if they hoped to limit his influence.

Aguirre stressed that his team would not depend on one defender to contain the former Paris Saint-Germain star. Instead, all eleven players would have responsibilities in limiting Real Madrid's attacking threat. He also explained that Valencia would attempt to deny Mbappe and his teammates the space required to exploit their speed, technical ability and finishing quality.

The manager's comments indicate that Valencia intend to rely on disciplined defensive organisation and teamwork. Rather than concentrating all their attention on Mbappe, they will seek to restrict the attacking opportunities available to the entire Madrid side. This approach could be particularly important against a team possessing several players capable of creating dangerous situations.

Aguirre also acknowledged that Valencia would need to deliver an exceptional performance to secure victory. When asked what his team must do to overcome Mourinho's side, he explained that they would have to produce an almost perfect display, adding that achieving such a performance would require several important factors to come together.

Despite recognising the strength of their opponents, the Mexican manager refused to suggest that Valencia had little chance of winning. He maintained that football remains unpredictable and that unexpected results are always possible, regardless of the difference in quality between competing teams.

The Valencia boss also drew attention to his previous experience of defeating a Real Madrid side managed by Mourinho. During the 2010/11 campaign, Aguirre was in charge of Real Zaragoza when his team produced a memorable 3-2 victory over Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the success was followed by a painful result when the Spanish giants responded by defeating Zaragoza 5-0 on the opening day of the subsequent campaign. Aguirre recalled the contrast between the two encounters, suggesting that his earlier victory had motivated Mourinho's team to respond strongly.

He remembered the occasion as an amusing experience, explaining that Madrid's heavy response made him feel as though he had angered the club with the previous victory. The story remains one of the notable memories from his managerial career and reflects the difficulty of facing a team of Madrid's quality.

Beyond discussing the tactical challenge, Aguirre also expressed admiration for Mourinho. The Valencia manager described the Portuguese coach as both a respected colleague and a close friend, revealing that they have known each other for many years.

He spoke warmly about Mourinho's managerial abilities and made it clear that he holds considerable respect for the Real Madrid boss. Aguirre praised him as an excellent tactician and said he had nothing but positive things to say about him.

Their personal relationship, however, will not change Valencia's determination to compete when the teams meet. Aguirre's priority will be ensuring that his players remain disciplined, limit Madrid's attacking opportunities and take their chances when they arise.