FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.04.2007 15:40

Rijkaard warns of Zaragoza danger

Despite the positive memory of the dramatic comeback at La Romareda in the Cup, Rijkaard has said “that all belongs to the past now” and “Zaragoza is a very dangerous team that play especially well at home”.

The Barça manager is aware that Zaragoza have not lost a league game at home for four months, and describes them as “a very dangerous opponent, made up of very talented players that form one of the strongest squads in the league. Every time they play us their mentality has been brilliant, and they are playing for a place in Europe”.

Three important points

But does Rijkaard believe that the three points at stake on Saturday (20:00, Barça TV) at La Romareda will be decisive in determining whether his team can retain the league title this season? “This will definitely be an interesting game, and the way it ends will be important for both sides. But the squad has the correct mentality to put on a good display”.

The playing system

In the return leg of the Copa del Rey encounter at the same venue, Frank Rijkaard surprised the opposition by going out with a 3-4-3 system that proved to be a wise move. But he was keeping his cards close to his chest when it came to his plans for this weekend, saying “we have two options in that sense. We still have to think about things and tomorrow we’ll see what decision we come up with”.

Missing Eto'o

The bad news is that Rijkaard has had to leave Samuel Eto'o out of his squad, as the Cameroonian has suffered tendonitis in the medium abductor of his right leg. The Dutchman was sorry to be missing Eto’o, saying that his star striker already knows what it is like “to train with the handbrake on”.