02.01.2011 21:49

Guardiola: “I am pleased with their behaviour”

Anna Segura

After beating Levante, Pep Guardiola said he was pleased with the work ethic that has ensured his side stays top of the league for yet another week.

Pep Guardiola had said the day before that the first game of the new year is never easy. And that is why he was so “happy with everybody’s participation and with the way they behaved”.

Pedro the key

Barça failed to score in the first half, but Guardiola refused to admit that his half-time team-talk had done the trick. The key was simply the fact that “we got a quick goal.” And that goal came from the foot of Pedro, as did the second, and on his striker, the Barça boss said “he is a very important player for us. He does a lot of things and he does them well”.

Respect for rivals

Although Levante are in the bottom half of the table, Guardiola insists that he takes every game seriously and “I was especially worried about this game.” He never fancies playing “well disciplined and honourable teams” like that where “it is only the superiority in the one-on-one that tips the balance in your favour”.

Busquets the centre back

Without Piqué or Puyol available, Guardiola opted to field Abidal and Busquets in the centre of defence. He was very pleased with Sergio Busquets, who “is very attentive and disciplined, and gets the ball out well … He had another fantastic game … he was not in a position he’s used to but he did really well”.

As for Bojan, he said “he has to feel relaxed that if he is here it’s because we think he can do things for us”.

On to Bilbao

Next up is Wednesday’s Copa del Rey game against Athletic Bilbao, which Guardiola is treating very seriously. “We will have to do all we can in every sense. It’s a vital game for us.” He expects the game at “San Mamés to be very different to the one here. They are a team that creates problems”.