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Barcelona may not be too hopeful of notching up another sumptuous goal feast against Atleti but coach, Pep Guardiola expects his side to at least score at the Calderón.
One of the talking points in La Liga so far this season was Barcelona’s 6-1 annihilation of Atlético Madrid earlier in the campaign. The two sides will square off again on Tuesday night in the Copa del Rey and Blaugrana coach, Pep Guardiola foresees another entertaining encounter.
But the highly praised Santpedor-born trainer is also expecting his side to score a few goals in the first leg clash at the Vicente Calderón.
“We are going there with the intention to score goals. If we do not score in the away leg, we can be punished in the return game at home, especially if we concede, and Atlético certainly know how to score goals themselves,” he said during the pre-match interviews.
“It will be a very attacking and attractive game but tomorrow [Tuesday night], we will score and we will dominate them,” he added confidently.
Guardiola also affirmed that the Blaugrana will be aiming to win the competition, even though the priority may come further down the pecking order behind La Liga and the Champions League.
“I want to win the Copa because I know that in this club, we have to fight for everything. Whether it’s a friendly or a competitive match, Barcelona must always go for the victory,” he emphasised.
Finally, the 37-year-old assured that his players have not taken their foot off the pedal: “Right now, my team are still playing at a very high level. We have not lowered our standards.
“It’s just that teams are now defending more and more against us. It’s not easy to attack against a rival who defends with nine players,” he concluded.
One of the talking points in La Liga so far this season was Barcelona’s 6-1 annihilation of Atlético Madrid earlier in the campaign. The two sides will square off again on Tuesday night in the Copa del Rey and Blaugrana coach, Pep Guardiola foresees another entertaining encounter.
But the highly praised Santpedor-born trainer is also expecting his side to score a few goals in the first leg clash at the Vicente Calderón.
“We are going there with the intention to score goals. If we do not score in the away leg, we can be punished in the return game at home, especially if we concede, and Atlético certainly know how to score goals themselves,” he said during the pre-match interviews.
“It will be a very attacking and attractive game but tomorrow [Tuesday night], we will score and we will dominate them,” he added confidently.
Guardiola also affirmed that the Blaugrana will be aiming to win the competition, even though the priority may come further down the pecking order behind La Liga and the Champions League.
“I want to win the Copa because I know that in this club, we have to fight for everything. Whether it’s a friendly or a competitive match, Barcelona must always go for the victory,” he emphasised.
Finally, the 37-year-old assured that his players have not taken their foot off the pedal: “Right now, my team are still playing at a very high level. We have not lowered our standards.
“It’s just that teams are now defending more and more against us. It’s not easy to attack against a rival who defends with nine players,” he concluded.
