16.09.2010 13:46

Barça seek to end Calderón drought

Anna Segura

On Sunday, Barça will be looking to end a three-year period without a League victory at the Vicente Calderón. Guardiola’s side expect a tough match, but know they are capable of bringing all three points back from Madrid.

The Vicente Calderón has not been a happy hunting ground for Barcelona of late, but they will need to get as much as they can out of their visit this season. But rather than go to Madrid in desperate hope, the Barça players are confident that they have it in them to put an end to this poor run.

Extra motivation

Dani Alves has already described the game against Atletico Madrid as “a difficult test” but he is not showing fear. “We like this challenge. We like games like this that get people talking and that have such repercussions”. He added that victory was important for “showing that we back to our usual form … that way we will know that we can responds properly to things”.

Records there to be broken

The 2008/09 season was the first season for Guardiola in the first team, as it was for Sergio Busquets. So the midfielder has a thorn in his side, because “they’re the only team that has always beaten us at their ground and that always makes you angry”. Busquets knows that records are there to be broken and that Barça “will be going there to win. If we lose it won’t be through lack of desire”.

Andrés Iniesta also had his bit to say. “We have to try to change this dynamic … but it’s a difficult ground and they’re a team that always make it hard for you”.

Two debuts

Villa and Mascherano, two of the newcomers in the squad, will be looking to help Barça end the run. Villa has scored six times against Atletico Madrid and feels that coming on the back of the defeat to Hercules, the meeting with the mattress-makers “has come at a good time … we are in high spirits after the result against Panathinaikos”.

Meanwhile, Mascherano knows it will be difficult against Atletico because “they’re feeling confident after winning titles and being top of the league”. But he added that it will also be a difficult match for them.

Atletico on form

There is little doubting that this is one of the strongest Atletico sides for some time. Says Víctor Valdés, “we haven’t done very well on this trip in the past … it’ll be difficult but we expect to win”.

Guardiola, speaking after the game with Panathinaikos, also mentioned Sunday’s encounter. “The Calderón will be a good test. We’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe and the world”.