วันอาทิตย์ที่ 14 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2553

Guardiola wary of Atletico Madrid


Pep Guardiola believes Atletico Madrid will play their best football when they clash with his Barcelona side.

Barca have found the going tough at the Vicente Calderon in recent seasons, crashing to a 4-3 loss against Los Colchoneros last term. Guardiola is convinced Quique Sanchez Flores' men will turn up the intensity on Sunday.

"They talk about two sides of Atleti. I don't know what version they will offer against Real Madrid but I can assure you that against us they will be at their best, as always," Guardiola told Marca.

"The feat of qualifying for their first final in ten years will be a boost to their self-confidence and to the morale of the team," he continued, referring to Atletico's recent qualification for the Copa del Rey final.

"In a one off match, a game in which we don't have control, they are stronger than us because they use counter-attacks better," he added.

Barcelona are in the midst of an injury crisis, with Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Eric Abidal, Dani Alves and Yaya Toure sidelined. Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez are suspended for the match against Atletico after getting sent off last weekend.

Skipper Carles Puyol's status is unclear before kickoff after sustaining a knock in training, and Guardiola will not risk him for the match if he is not match-fit, saying: "He is 32-years-old and we must be careful."

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