Football
9y

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique refuses to look beyond Getafe match

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has refused to look ahead of Saturday afternoon's game at Getafe as the prospect looms of his side finishing 2014 on top of the La Liga table.

Should Barca get three points at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez and then again at home to struggling Cordoba in their last game of the calendar year they will be sure to top the standings, given current La Liga leaders Real Madrid will miss a fixture due to the World Club Cup.

While there has been some criticism from local pundits and fans over Luis Enrique's selections and tactics, Wednesday's 3-1 Champions League win over Paris Saint Germain was Barca's eighth consecutive victory in all competitions, and saw the Catalan side qualify for the last 16 as group winners.

The Blaugrana coach told a news conference  that his team was playing well at the moment, but he preferred not to make judgments on their progress midway through the campaign.

"We just focus on beating our next opponent," Luis Enrique said. "Results are assessed at the end of the season. We tend to associate results with playing well. I have seen my team on a good path since we began. Now we are in a good moment, we will try and keep this going as long as possible."

Luis Enrique said his focus was on Saturday's opponents Getafe, who are sitting 12th in the table after taking four points from their last two games, and could well cause Barca problems.

"This game has all the ingredients of one which could get complicated," he said. "It is never an easy ground to play at, against a very motivated opponent. The message to the team is that we will have problems."

The 3-2-4-1 formation chosen against PSG lead to some major issues in defence and midfield -- but did see all three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez on the scoresheet together for the first time -- should not have so surprised the pundits, the Asturian tactician said.

"I am happy with how the players adapted to it," Luis Enrique said. "I already made these type of changes or variants at Barca B. But not even Saint Peter was watching. A football team must always be in a state of permanent construction. There is no end point."

Luis Enrique was less keen to comment on the situation of out-of-favour right-back Martin Montoya, whose agent has suggested he will leave the club during the January transfer window.

"The players have contracts and these things are talking about inside the club," he said. "I understand the situation, but the situation could change and lift him. I do not focus on what agents say, just on the sporting side of things."

^ Back to Top ^