FCBARCELONA.CAT

05.01.2009 14:13

“It’s going to be a really tough tie”

Jordi Clos

Pep Guardiola thinks the Atlético Madrid - Barça clash in the last 16 of the Cup will produce some attractive football. He says that Barça need to play the away leg carefully and bear in mind there is a second game to come.

“The most important game is tomorrow’s,” said Pep Guardiola at his press conference before the away leg of Barça’s last 16 King’s Cup tie. The Barça manager is full of confidence in the players he’s called up for the game with Atlético de Madrid. “Barça’s players are really good and I need people who are fresh,” he said. “I have full confidence in all of them even when they don’t play that much.” He also said that Barça has to fight hard to get as far as it can in all competitions.

Attractive tie

Guardiola thinks “it’s going to be a really tough tie” and said his team would seek to score goals and dominate on Tuesday, bearing in mind there is another game to come in Barcelona. Based on his experience as a player, he thinks it will be a really attractive pair of games.

Both sides have played well in attack this season and Pep Guardiola is well aware of what the Madrid outfit can do. “I expect they’ll be on top form. They’d not lost in thirteen and then get beat, so I expect to find a strong side really going for it,” he said. “We have to be on the top of our game because they can score at any time.”

Nothing to do with the League

“This game will have nothing to do with our League match,” argued Guardiola, referring to Barça’s 6-1 victory earlier this season. “Being three nil up after 15 minutes is not normal, plus they were missing Simao and Forlán.”