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Barcelona Coach Pep Guardiola Foresees Difficult Test Against Atletico Madrid
The young trainer believes that los Colchoneros will show their strongest side against the league leaders...
Feb 13, 2010 2:12:00 PM
By Anthony Wright
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is convinced that Atletico Madrid will pull out all the stops and put in a good performance against his side when they meet on Sunday.
The Blaugrana have struggled at the Vicente Calderon in recent years, going down 4-3 to los Rojiblancos last season, and Guardiola feels that Quique Sanchez Flores' side will make it equally hard for his team tomorrow.
"They talk about two sides of Atleti. I don't know what version they will offer against Real Madrid but I can assure you that against us they will be at their best, as always," Guardiola announced to Marca.
"The feat of qualifying for their first final in 10 years will be a boost to their self-confidence and to the morale of the team," he continued, referring to Atletico's recent progression to the Copa del Rey final.
"In a one off match, a game in which we don't have control, they are stronger than us because they use counter-attacks better," he added.
Barcelona are currently suffering from a defensive injury crisis, with Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Eric Abidal, Dani Alves and Yaya Toure all injured, while Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez are suspended.
Carles Puyol has also been carrying a knock this week, and Guardiola insists that he will not play him if he is not ready, explaining, "he is 32-years-old and we must be careful."
The Blaugrana have struggled at the Vicente Calderon in recent years, going down 4-3 to los Rojiblancos last season, and Guardiola feels that Quique Sanchez Flores' side will make it equally hard for his team tomorrow.
| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £85.00 | Draw £55.00 | Barcelona £12.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £95.00 | Draw £55.00 | Barcelona £12.90 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £90.00 | Draw £50.00 | Barcelona £13.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £90.00 | Draw £60.00 | Barcelona £12.90 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £87.00 | Draw £53.00 | Barcelona £12.50 |
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"They talk about two sides of Atleti. I don't know what version they will offer against Real Madrid but I can assure you that against us they will be at their best, as always," Guardiola announced to Marca.
"The feat of qualifying for their first final in 10 years will be a boost to their self-confidence and to the morale of the team," he continued, referring to Atletico's recent progression to the Copa del Rey final.
"In a one off match, a game in which we don't have control, they are stronger than us because they use counter-attacks better," he added.
Barcelona are currently suffering from a defensive injury crisis, with Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Eric Abidal, Dani Alves and Yaya Toure all injured, while Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez are suspended.
Carles Puyol has also been carrying a knock this week, and Guardiola insists that he will not play him if he is not ready, explaining, "he is 32-years-old and we must be careful."
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Athletic Bilbao - FC Barcelona
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