06.04.2007 15:40
Rijkaard warns of Zaragoza danger
Despite the positive memory of the dramatic comeback at La Romareda in the Cup, Rijkaard has said “that all belongs to the past now” and “Zaragoza is a very dangerous team that play especially well at home”.
The Barça manager is aware that Zaragoza have not lost a league game at home for four months, and
describes them as “a very dangerous opponent, made up of very talented players that form one
of the strongest squads in the league. Every time they play us their mentality has been brilliant,
and they are playing for a place in Europe”.
Three important points
But does Rijkaard believe that the three points at stake on Saturday (20:00, Barça TV) at La
Romareda will be decisive in determining whether his team can retain the league title this season?
“This will definitely be an interesting game, and the way it ends will be important for both
sides. But the squad has the correct mentality to put on a good display”.
The playing system
In the return leg of the Copa del Rey encounter at the same
venue, Frank Rijkaard surprised the opposition by going out with a 3-4-3 system that proved to be a
wise move. But he was keeping his cards close to his chest when it came to his plans for this
weekend, saying “we have two options in that sense. We still have to think about things and
tomorrow we’ll see what decision we come up with”.
Missing Eto'o
The bad news is that Rijkaard has had to leave Samuel Eto'o out of his squad, as the
Cameroonian has suffered tendonitis in the medium abductor of his right leg. The Dutchman was sorry
to be missing Eto’o, saying that his star striker already knows what it is like “to
train with the handbrake on”.