Pedro: “We had a lot of goal scoring chances, we’re pleased with how we played but not with the result”.
Barça came away with a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge. Despite the numerous amount of goal scoring chances the team created, Barça were not able to score. “The result is unjust but we knew that Chelsea are a team that take advantage of their opportunities. We were off target in front of goal but we still have the return leg at home,” said Andrés Iniesta.
The hopes of many Barça fans for a last-minute goal, like in the match three years ago, faded away when the referee blew the final whistle. However, the players are upbeat despite not getting the all-valuable away goal. Iniesta said, “we have the feeling that we created a lot of clear chances, the only thing we were lacking was the final touch. Sometimes this happens. We’ll try to be more effective in the return leg, we have confidence in our ability to overturn today’s scoreline. We have an adverse result and we have to work harder seeing that we're capable of doing it. It’s not an issue of luck.”
Barça fans, key in the retun leg
Chelsea’s defensive strategy will probably be employed in next week’s match at the Camp Nou. Iniesta believes the match “will be similar to this one” because they “will be waiting at the back but I believe that we’ll be more aggressive with our fans behind us.
“We hope that in Barcelona things will be different and the support from our fans will be an added plus. Our fans will be there like they always have been. Even more so now. It’ll be 90 intense minutes and we need their help to get to the final.”
Focus on El Clásico
Despite the defeat, Barça need to look forward and focus on their next match, El Clásico, which will be played this Saturday. According to Iniesta, this Wednesday’s result in the Champions League “will not influence” the all-important La Liga showdown with Real Madrid. The midfielder believes that the team “is prepared” despite the fact that there are “two very important matches in very little time” and that Barça’s objective will be “to prologue the team’s title chances in the Liga.”
Here are some of the statements made by FC Barcelona players after today’s match:
Pedro
“The team isn’t happy but we have confidence that we can fight back.
“A goal would have helped us in this important match. We can only focus on Madrid now. It’s always difficult to score when the opposing team defend so well. We had a lot of chances, we’re pleased with the game we had but not with the result.
“Next Tuesday’s match will probably be similar to this one but we’ll do everything we can to win it.
“Chelsea’s goal, with the few chances they had, is something that happens in football and it leaves you a little deflated. However, we’re optimistic that we can fight back.
“We know that we have to play two of the most crucial matches of the season this week.”
Víctor Valdés
“We still have 90 minutes to prove that we deserve to be in the final! Take heart, we still have a lot of time to finish off this crucial week! Força Barça.
“In the return leg, we’ll create goal scoring chances and we’ll work just as hard as we did today. We created a lot of chances against a team that closed themselves off very well at the back and that needs to be valued. We have to try and win the return leg at all cost.
“We have to focus on this Satruday’s match.”
Thiago Alcántara
“We’re going to prove that we deserve to be in the final! We still have 90 minutes left to play and [we’ll have] 90 thousand Azulgranas at the Camp Nou.”
Carles Puyol
“We’ll have to fight back at the Camp Nou after today’s defeat. I think we deserved to win this game. We need your help [fans] to get to the final in Munich.
Mascherano
“Unfortunately, this happens a lot in football. You deserve a lot more than what you leave with. But the result is what it is and we know that we have 90 minutes and it’s in our hands.
“We completely dominated the match. They didn’t create a lot of goal scoring chances save one or two from a throw in or a corner but we lost despite the chances we had.
“We have to win knowing that we cannot concede a goal.” (via FCBarcelona.com)
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