BARCELONA, 17 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Barça Femení coach, Pere Romeu, assured this Tuesday that the team is willing to go out and “bite the hell out” of Manchester City at the close of the group stage of the Women’s Champions League, this Wednesday at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, since both teams are classified but they are playing for the lead, in the hands of City due to the victory on the first day, in a direct duel.
“The team wants to play games like this, the team likes these scenarios and the team is going to go out and bite from minute 1. We hope to have the optimal motivation to face this game,” Romeu said in a previous press conference, already from Montjuic.
“The soccer players are motivated, if they weren’t we would have to look at it. People are eager and excited, that defeat there hurt us but it was not definitive, because we depend on us to finish first in the group,” she added, in this sense.
To try to win by those two goals difference that give them the lead, the coach believes that they will have to go out and play a good game and have control. “Controlling the match will allow us to have scoring chances and we hope that they will be defined as goals in favor. The objective is to have control, score the first goal and be aware that we must go for the second goal,” he noted.
“This team has possession and chances, tomorrow we have to materialize them and play in the opposite field to generate many chances, which will give us a chance to win by two goals, which is what we want,” he argued.
Of course, it foresees a different duel than the 2-0 of the first round in England. “It will be a different game, we have both changed a lot compared to that first day. We have prepared a lot to know what City has done in recent months, we have reviewed that game a lot and tomorrow we will do something different, but the important thing is to go out very convinced as a team that we have to go for the three points and win by two goals,” he reiterated.
As for playing in Montjuïc, he assured that it is “something nice.” “It is a pleasant setting. We feel at home, we have played here before. We are very happy to play here, tomorrow’s game is very important and doing it in this stadium will help, it is a clear plus of motivation for us; the stage and the type of game we played,” he declared.
Regarding the Norwegian forward Caroline Graham Hansen, the Blaugrana coach left it up in the air whether or not she will be able to be in this important match. “He has done part of the training, we will not be able to confirm if he is available until the day of the match,” he noted.
“Caro is a differential player in one-on-one and finishing. But we have a long squad, with high-level footballers with different profiles. We all want Caro to be available, but if she is not we will have alternatives,” he added.
A situation similar to that of Captain Alexia Putellas. “He has done a couple of training sessions with the group, tomorrow we will see if he arrives. Everyone knows that Alexia is important to us, he gives us many things and is the leader of the locker room. As soon as he is there, the better for everyone,” he acknowledged.
If you can’t count on any of them, you will have to pull other players and perhaps move them back from their natural position. “Polivalence, in some positions, is good because it makes the soccer player better. But it is a collective sport and any player is at the service of the team. If a player is required to play in ‘x’ position, it will continue to be done,” he assured.
PATRI GUIJARRO, VERY MOTIVATED
For his part, Patri Guijarro asked for the massive attendance of the fans at Montjuïc. “We feel the ‘culers’ closely and I hope they come because we need them to be first in the group. Playing here is always something special,” he acknowledged.
“We have looked at the game very well, we have analyzed it well and there will be changes for tomorrow. And I like to play against top midfielders, numbers 1. City is the Premier team that wants to play the most, with pleasure. They are very good and it motivates me a lot to play against them,” the midfielder said honestly.