Luis Enrique finds a kindred spirit in European rival Brendan
SAYS LUIS ENRIQUE
FOR once, the most lauded forward line in world football wasn’t the only attacking trident on Luis Enrique’s mind. As he moved towards unleashing Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar against Celtic this evening, the Barcelona head coach also outlined his concern about the threat coming in the opposite direction.
Praising the free-scoring style under Brendan Rodgers, Enrique feels there are individuals worthy of special attention in this Champions League opener in Group C.
Saturday’s Old Firm hat-trick has obviously placed Moussa Dembele at the top of the list. But Enrique also expressed admiration for two men who could flank the French youngster in the Nou Camp. Barcelona, he claimed, will be wary. ‘Celtic have talented players,’ said Enrique. ‘Dembele scored his three goals against Rangers and, in (Scott) Sinclair and (Patrick) Roberts, they certainly have some highquality players who can cause us problems.
‘Celtic is an historic club. They are back in the Champions League and have achieved the right results.
‘There were other teams in Pot Four who it would have been less complicated for us to draw. But we are happy to play Celtic and, later in the group, we will go to one of the best stadiums in Europe, in terms of atmosphere.’
Enrique extended the positive appraisal to his opposite number. In Rodgers, he sees something of a kindred spirit.
‘I like Brendan as a coach,’ he continued. ‘I like his ideas. I knew him from before when I met him at the Mini Estadi watching Barca B.
‘He’s a lover of good football, he plays an attractive style and I like coaches who attack.
‘I also like coaches who let players have the burden and take the initiative, like Celtic do.
‘We have watched them and, as I said, they have players who can cause us problems.’
International commitments and fitness issues mean Messi, Suarez and Neymar have yet to start a match together this season. Only Neymar was in the line-up which started Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Alaves.
The need to respond positively to that surprise La Liga setback means Celtic could face the backlash from a unit that has amassed an astonishing 260 goals since the start of the 2014-15 season.
Messi and Suarez both featured in late July when Barca recorded a 3-1 victory in an International Champions Cup friendly in Dublin.
‘Celtic played with five defenders in the pre-season game for a few minutes and conceded a few goals,’ mused Enrique. ‘How they line up this time is a question for Brendan Rodgers, but I know that Celtic press you very high.
‘I like that. They don’t just fall back like Alaves did, so we will see if they do that again.
‘I’m not worried about Celtic’s system. We have sorted out most defensive situations this season. But on the other hand, I am worried because we have to work on certain things.’
Certainly, the way that Barcelona’s defence seemed paralysed by the counter-attacks of Alaves provides Rodgers with a glimmer of hope.
For the Catalan media, the result has been treated almost as an affront. A disruption to the natural order. La Liga champions during both of Enrique’s seasons in charge, they are not supposed to lose on their own pitch. And certainly not to that level of opponent.
‘I hope the Alaves result has no impact on the squad,’ said Enrique. ‘But I will tell you at 11pm after the match against Celtic.
‘We analyse the games afterwards. That is normal. We have things to improve and work on. That’s what happens after every defeat.
‘The objective is to win the next game. That’s all we can think about right now. We cannot look too far ahead. If we can qualify and win the group, then great. But the key thing is to beat Celtic.
‘We will play our game, move the ball and try to overcome the high pressure — and we also need to be stronger in defence.
‘I was clear after the Alaves game. I explained what I thought had happened and I have assessed it since. We know what we have to work on to try to achieve a good result.
‘Football is not an exact science. You can’t win every game, but we will look to improve.
‘We will identify problems and try to find a solution. But what we have achieved speaks for itself.
‘The team deserves to have the confidence of the fans after the achievements of the last few years.
‘The new players will get used to how we play. They will adjust but we have to help them a lot and give them information.’
Those summer additions — Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Andre Gomes, Jasper Cillessen, Paco Alcacer and Denis Suarez — arrived thanks to a combined spend of £100million.
Overall, this Barcelona squad cost a truly eye-watering £350m to assemble.
The Champions League represents their premier proving ground, the competition in which they are ultimately judged. The Catalan
public hunger for the recapture of a crown lost to bitter rivals Real Madrid last season.
Celtic simply provide the first hurdle to clear. The Parkhead club lost 6-1 on their last visit in 2013, but full-back Jordi Alba expects a far tougher challenge this time.
‘We are very excited about the Champions League getting underway,’ said the left-back, who scored a last-minute winner against Celtic in 2012.
‘We face an opponent who have improved a lot since we last met them three years ago. You can see that. We have watched them a lot.
‘Celtic are very good on the ball. We are going to have to play well because we want to start this competition with three points.
‘Every year, we try to do well in the competition, to try to win the three titles — La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League — that we aspire to.
‘We are motivated. We will try to compete until the end and see what we can do.
‘Celtic play well with the ball. It will be tough to create chances but that’s what we’re here for — to get three points and get off to a good start.’
Having Messi, Suarez and Neymar creating their unique brand of harmonious magic would provide an obvious boost. The Argentine is fit again after a groin problem.
‘They are the three best forwards in the world and, of course, it reassures you to have them in the side,’ admitted Alba. ‘But we have to play as a team and, if we play as a team, we will score more and concede less.
‘Leo is coming back to fitness and it would be silly to say he is not important to the team. He gives an added quality, even if the squad has great quality. Leo makes us better, he helps us in defence.
‘He has been at the top level for 12 years, you have to admire that. He’s been at the top for so long — no one else has managed that.’