Juan Bernat is confident that Valencia can still finish fourth in La Liga this season, despite sitting 13 points off the Champions League positions after 17 matches.

The former Spanish champions have a new head coach – Juan Antonio Pizzi – for the second half of the season after Miroslav Djukic was relieved of his duties before the winter break.

Bernat has admitted that he is not too familiar with Pizzi, but is confident that the team can enjoy "a good end to the season".

"We must react, we have already gone wrong enough. Now we have a new coach and we hope to turn around the current situation to have a good finish to the season," Bernat told reporters.

"I do not know [Pizzi] very well. It is said that he is a coach with a lot of character, but the important thing is that I believe the team will have a good end to the season.

"It is true that we are 13 points away from the Champions League qualification places and although it will be difficult, we believe we can get fourth place."

Valencia face Levante in the league this weekend.