FCBARCELONA.CAT

05.04.2010 19:13

Guardiola: “We have to be very quick”

Edgar Fornós

Pep Guardiola said in his press conference prior to the game with Arsenal that the key to winning involves passing the ball around quickly, playing lots of touches and keeping it simple.

Guardiola made it clear that against the Londoners “we’ll have to be very quick and keep our concentration until the end if we want to have an option of getting through the round. If we keep the ball flowing around nicely, playing lots of touches and basically keeping it simple, we’ll have a better chance of making the semi finals”.

Importance of qualifying

The coach believes their future rests on Tuesday’s result. “Making it through this round or not will decide everything” he said. “So we have to stay alive in the Champions League in order to be optimistic about the eight league matches we have left.”

Keeping the ball

Arsenal and Barça are two teams that like to control the ball and play attacking football. Neither side likes to sit back and speculate, and Guardiola knows this could have a massive bearing on the way the game goes. “Whoever maintains possession of the ball and makes the other team run will take this match. We played very well over there and displayed good football but they can play too and that’s why they came back for a draw.”

Almunia stopped everything

At the Emirates Stadium, Barça got off to an exceptional start, but failed to turn any of the many chances into goals. Guardiola knows why. “I made it clear. If we didn’t score in the first quarter of an hour when we created eleven chances to score, it was because Almunia stopped the lot. He was amazing and left us with zero options.”

Question mark over Iniesta

It is still not clear whether Andrés Iniesta, who was injured at the Ono Estadi, will be fit in time to play a part in the game with Arsenal. “He has got better over the last few days. It will depend a lot on how he feels after training this evening and tomorrow morning” said Guardiola.