FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.04.2007 11:47

Speed and pressure in every department

David Puig/Míriam Nadal

Pressure and more speed in attack. Those aspects were the focus of Friday training, the last public session before Rijkaard’s squad faces Levante. Sylvinho is now over his bout of gastroenteritis.

The squad trained on Thursday at La Masia with Sylvinho fully recovered from the gastroenteritis that caused him to miss the Thursday session at the Miniestadi. But although he joined in with all the normal exercises, he sat out the nine-a-side match that closed the day’s work.

Belletti also at Masia

T he other story this morning was that Juliano Belletti was there for some of the session albeit in isolation from the rest of the group, dribbling a ball around an obstacle course designed specially for him.

Unusual game

Following the usual warm-up, the players played an atypical training match in which advanced defences and speed were the order of an intense day. Rijkaard ordered the defenders to move up almost as far as the half way line, leaving huge gaps in front of goalkeepers Valdés and Jorquera. Once either team broke through the last line of defence, they had ten seconds to finish the move. In other words, the session was focussing on quickly finishing off plays once breaking free into space.

The teams

For this game played nine against nine, the two teams were Valdés, Thuram, Puyol, Oleguer, Iniesta, Gudjohnsen, Giuly, Saviola and Ezquerro in yellow and Jorquera, Márquez, Gio, Zambrotta, Xavi, Deco, Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Messi in blue.

Behind closed doors on Saturday

The Saturday session, as usual on days before official matches, will be behind closed doors at the Camp Nou from 11.00 am.