Barcelona has options for Gladbach even without Messi
BERLIN (Reuters) - Barcelona will travel to Borussia Moenchengladbach for a Champions League match on Wednesday without Lionel Messi, but the Spaniards have enough options and firepower to plug the gap left by the Argentine, coach Luis Enrique said.
Messi has been sidelined for three weeks with a groin injury, but Barca was unaffected by its leader’s absence on Saturday, firing five goals past Sporting Gijon in a show of force ahead of its second Group C match.
The Catalans’ opening game in Europe was even more impressive as they crushed Celtic 7-0 to move top of the standings on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, led by their former coach Pep Guardiola.
Barcelona has scored 18 goals in four games since losing 2-1 at home to Alaves on September 10, with Neymar and Luis Suarez in fine form.
“I have different kinds of players and that gives me a lot of options,” Luis Enrique said. “Depending on who we are playing and the players I have available, I will pick the ones that I think are right for the situation.
“To lose Messi means that football loses. With Messi we are stronger, but we will continue being strong,” he said.
Celtic braced for City raiders
Brendan Rodgers has a goalkeeping dilemma to resolve for his Celtic team before Manchester City turns up for their Group C Champions League match in Glasgow on Wednesday.
The Scottish champion shipped seven goals at Barcelona in the opening group game and Rodgers needs the safest pair of hands he can find to keep out some of the most lethal finishers in English soccer.
City has scored more than anyone in the Premier League this season, leading by four points and winning 10 out of 10 games in all competitions under new manager Pep Guardiola.
Its latest victims was Swansea City, rolled aside 3-1 on Saturday with Argentina striker Sergio Aguero scoring twice.
The first goals Aguero scored in English soccer were against Swansea, in 2011, when Rodgers was in charge and the manager needs no reminding of the Argentine’s talents.
He may, however, have to put his faith in a man whose confidence was described only last week by former Celtic striker Chris Sutton as “shot to pieces.”
Unconvincing Dutch goalkeeper Dorus De Vries was substituted at halftime due to injury in Celtic’s 6-1 Scottish Premier League win over Kilmarnock on Saturday, with Scotland international Craig Gordon the replacement.
“Dorus strained his chest when he landed. He could have played on, but we had Craig there fit and capable and I didn’t want to take any risk with it,” Rodgers told reporters.
City will feel the likely loss of Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, to a hamstring injury, but it has plenty of other