29.03.2010 14:22
"It’ll be important not to lose and also to score"
Vanessa Forns
Speaking to reporters after training on Monday, Seydou Keita stressed the need take something positive back from the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal in London.
With the second leg being played in the Camp Nou, the Mali international midfielder revealed that
the main thing is for Barca to avoid a defeat in the Emirates Stadium: “Qualification is over
two legs. We’re aware that we have another match at home. We have to do everything we can not
to lose and then, if we can score, even better. If we could win, that would be perfect”.
"It’ll be an open game"
Keita has a great deal of respect for the Premier League outfit,
especially as they play a pretty similar style to Barca. He knows that both teams will go for goals
from the very beginning: “It’ll be an open game and very difficult against a very good
team”.
The squad is ready
Barca have some vital matches coming up including the Champions League tie against
Arsenal and the Spanish league classic in the Santaigo Bernabeu. According to Keita: “The
squad are ready for the challenge. It’s a key part of the season. But right now we have to
focus on Arsenal. Afterwards, there’ll be time to think about other matches”.
The duel with Real Madrid
However, with the match against Real Madrid getting closer and closer,
questions about what could be the biggest match of the season are inevitable. Keita told reporters
today that he hadn’t seen the match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the weekend
because he had the feeling that Real would win. Whilst stressing that it is a purely personal
opinion, he indicated that “the opponents don’t seem to give 100% against Real Madrid
but the Real Madrid players might think the same about us. If they win it’s because
they’re going well, because they have some quality players”.
Stay focussed on winning
Keita declined to give his view on whether the winner of the match between Real Madrid and
Barca would then go on to win the league title: “I don’t know because there’ll be
a lot of matches left after that one. If we win, it will obviously be a big step forward. Last year
we won everything so this year everyone wants to beat us. What we have to do is focus on winning
our matches”.