Barca confidence not shaken by blip, insists Messi
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi insists Barcelona’s belief hasn’t been affected by a poor run of form as they travel to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) holding a precarious 2-1 first- leg lead in their Champions
A run of just one point from their last three La Liga games has seen Atletico close to within three points of Barca at the top of La Liga.
“Our mindset remains the same,” - book page.
“We work hard all year to have a chance of winning trophies at the end of the season. We continue to believe in ourselves.”
Barca remain on course to repeat their treble feat of last season and Champions League in the process.
However, the European champions also had luck on their side to as Fernando Torres was sent off for two rash challenges before half-time into an early lead.
By contrast, Luis Suarez went unpunished despite aiming a kick at Juanfran and clashing with Filipe Luis off the ball.
Suarez went on to turn the game around with Barca’s two goals after the break to take his tally for the season to 45 in 45 games.
The Uruguayan’s presence was badly missed as Barca slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad, with the former Liverpool striker suspended.
the rivalry with Atletico on its head over the past two seasons as Barca have won the last seven meetings between the two.
However, Atletico previously enjoyed a six-game unbeaten run against the Catalans, including a 1-0 win at the Vicente Calderon to eliminate Barca at this stage of the competition two years ago.
“You always try and improve game- to- game against them,” Atletico boss Diego Simeone said on Tuesday.
“Within the characteristics we have we’ll look for the variations we can to cause them problems and, most importantly, win the game.”
And Simeone hopes his side can prey on slight faults in Barca’s game that have been punished in recent weeks by Real Madrid and Real Sociedad after a 39-game unbeaten run.
“In a scenario like tomorrow all that has happened in the past is forgotten at the start of the game,” said the Argentine.
“Then as the game develops certain situations may develop that are repeated (from previous games).”
Atletico will miss the on-form Torres, who has scored in his last three games, through suspension.
“We need to overcome the absence of Fernando and control a marvellous footballer like Suarez,” added Simeone.
AFP