FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.04.2010 14:26

Guardiola “we have to repeat the levels we showed in London”

Anna Segura

Barca boss Josep Guardiola knows it won’t be easy to repeat the performance his side gave at The Emirates on Wednesday, but he’s demanding that the players maintain the same level they showed against Mallorca and Arsenal.

“It’s always a trap to use the last game as a reference point”, commented Guardiola about the Arsenal game, referring to the team’s extraordinary first half performance, “but I don’t think that we have given enough value to the way we played against Mallorca. We took a big step forward both there and in London”.

Keeping intensity high

Barca face another tough test on Saturday with the visit of Bilbao, but Guardiola is asking for “the same tone we showed against Arsenal”, whilst warning the fans not to expect the same kind of game they saw on Wednesday: “there were a lot of factors that helped us, and them, play a great game. I’m looking for the same intensity though -as high as possible”.

Confidence high in Bilbao camp

Bilbao are just two points off a Champions League spot and Guardiola warned: “they are full of confidence in themselves. It doesn’t surprise me that they are so close to a Champions League spot, they are having a great season and that gives them confidence in the way they are playing and in getting a result”.

Still plenty of points on offer

The Bilbao game is the start of what could be a defining week for the season, with the visit of Arsenal on Tuesday and then the trip to Madrid next Saturday, but Guardiola is still staying cool: “there are seven games after the Bernabeu match - if it was the last game of the season then I would say it was vital, but there are another 21 points up for grabs after that game, with away games just as tough as the Madrid trip. If we were to lose in the Bernabeu and win all the others, we’d have a great chance of winning the league”.