Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 8y

Barcelona can improve record from penalty spot - Luis Enrique

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has called on his team to improve their penalty record ahead of Saturday afternoon's La Liga game at Las Palmas.

Barca have only scored eight of the 16 penalties they have been awarded in all competitions so far this season  -- a stat which includes the "penalty pass" taken by Lionel Messi and converted by Luis Suarez in last weekend's 6-1 La Liga win over Celta Vigo.

Suarez then missed from the spot in Wednesday's 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon -- meaning he, Messi and Neymar have all failed at least once from 12 yards in a game already this term.

Asked about the issue at the pregame news conference ahead of a first trip to the Estadio Gran Canaria since 2001, the Blaugrana coach first laughed all the question before then accepting it was an issue his side needed to correct.

"We could make the goalposts bigger," Luis Enrique said.

"It is true we have not been so effective, it is something we need to improve. We have lots of other things we can improve too."

Three points for Barca on Saturday afternoon would stretch their lead to nine over second-placed Atletico Madrid, and 10 over Real Madrid in third, before the two clubs from the Spanish capital play on Sunday, and Luis Enrique said he did not think that Tuesday's looming Champions League last-16 first leg at Arsenal would be any distraction for his side.

"If we do not beat Las Palmas, it will not be because we are thinking about Arsenal," he said. "We have shown that we can compete at our best playing every three days."

Asked about "euphoria" at his team's current 30-game unbeaten run potentially causing his players to lose concentration, Luis Enrique said he saw his squad focused on repeating last year's Treble success.

"If there was this same euphoria, or anything out of control at training or day to day, I would be worried," he said. "But there is not. I see a group of players with clear objectives, aware that everything is still to be decided.

"We will try and repeat what we did last season. The players are enjoying themselves, but we know how difficult it is to keep winning. Until someone is mathematically certain -- nobody is going to think they have won anything, and nobody is going to give up the chase."

After his penalty miss, Suarez later did find the net against Sporting, bringing the Uruguayan to 24 goals in 23 La Liga appearances, three ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in the pichichi top scorer race. But Luis Enrique said he did not think his players would be distracted by such personal awards.

"These are individual motivations, but the collective is above that," he said. "We all know that. If individual goals can be linked to the team's success, then even better, but the basis is for the team to win three points."

With Sergio Busquets suspended having picked up a fifth yellow card of the season in Wednesday's 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon, Sergi Roberto is expected to deputise in holding midfield against a Las Palmas team in 18th place and struggling against relegation.

"Las Palmas can make things very difficult for us," Luis Enrique said. "The teams down the bottom need points now, as there are less games to play. Those teams, who in theory are worse, can do the unexpected.

"Las Palmas know how play, they are well organised, play good football. We will have to press well tomorrow, to recover the ball."

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