MADRID • Valencia coach Marcelino knows that if his team were to have any chance of beating Barcelona, they must first stop Lionel Messi.
Ahead of today's King Cup's final in Seville, the Spaniard did not reveal his exact game plan but warned his players that they will have to nullify the threat of the Argentinian superstar forward at all costs.
"The key is giving Messi little to do in the game," Marcelino said, as reported by Spanish daily Marca.
"The problem is that although he appears sparingly, his actions have a decisive influence."
Striker Kevin Gameiro, who scored 11 goals in all competitions this season (Messi has 50), added: "With Messi, Barcelona are never easy to beat. But we can't afford to play with fear of what's in front of us. Do that and you lose."
Valencia, owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, last won the King's Cup 11 years ago when Fernando Morientes scored in a 3-1 victory over Getafe in a stadium that no longer exists. That was the last trophy the club hoisted in any competition.
After 15 games this season, they sat 15th in the Spanish LaLiga, a battle against relegation more likely than a late push for the top four.
2008
The last time Valencia won the King's Cup.
"I can't explain it," said Marcelino, who was the club's 12th coach in five years. But, this time, the club persevered and his team's form returned.
They made the Europa League semi-finals, where they were beaten by Arsenal, and then saw off Valladolid last Saturday to reach next season's Champions League.
The result may not be remarkable - they made it last year, too - but it was the way they did it. Unlike Barcelona, the adversity enhanced the achievement.
"It has been an outstanding season," added Marcelino. "We have had a lot of problems, but we stayed calm. To get back into the Champions League again is a great achievement."
For LaLiga champions Barcelona, a fifth consecutive King's Cup will amount to just damage limitation if they beat Valencia.
Victory for Barca would only slightly alleviate the disappointment of failing in the Champions League. But, should they lose, less than three weeks after the collapse at Liverpool, it would plunge the club back into crisis.
The numbers, however, favour Barcelona. Twenty-six points separate the two sides in the LaLiga table, with Barca scoring more goals than Valencia have scored and let in put together.
Valencia captain Dani Parejo finished as their top scorer with nine league goals, the same number Messi had hit before the middle of November. And Valencia have beaten Barcelona only once in 14 attempts, without a victory in any of their last eight meetings.
But, while Barca look like a side still hurting and eager to end the season, Valencia are flying high after the late surge that saw them snatch fourth place last Saturday.
"We weren't playing for anything and it showed," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde after the 2-2 draw away at Eibar on Sunday.
"In Seville, we will be completely different."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The official site of the San Antonio Spurs. Includes news, scores, schedules, statistics, photos and video.
San Antonio Spurs
Neymar denies raping woman in Paris luxury hotel, dad calls it extortion PARIS • Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar yesterday denied raping a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Paris hotel, with his father claiming he was the victim of blackmail.
Neymar denies claims he raped a woman in Paris hotel saying
Man Utd miss out on top four after draw at Huddersfield 3 weeks ago Manchester United will have to settle for Europa League football next season after being held by a Huddersfield side who were relegated in March.
Man Utd Miss Out On Top Four After Draw At Huddersfield
Football News. March 7, 2019 / 8:20 PM / 3 months ago. Soccer-10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held. Andrew Downie. Sevilla, who have won the Europa League three times, twice went ahead
10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held - bdnews24.com
Football: Improved Denis Suarez ready to make impact, say
Tottenham Hotspur's Moussa Sissoko says he was unaware Raheem Sterling's goal was disallowed Tottenham Hotspur's Moussa Sissoko did not realise his side had advanced to the Champions League semi-finals until a member of the coaching staff informed him in the dressing room that Manchester City's last-gasp goal had been disallowed.
Sissoko unaware Tottenham had advanced after Sterling goal
This was Mourinho's second spell with Chelsea. He previously managed the Blues from 2004-2007 before leaving for Inter Milan. The Portuguese manager has never made it through three consecutive seasons with any club. "Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent," the team said in a statement.
Mourinho Sacked! Solskjær new interim manager | Page 3
Mar 18, 2019 · Ole Gunnar Solskjaer As Solskjær soars, how many extra points does a manager really add? For all the praise lavished on the likeable Norwegian, I remain glued to the fence. Don't get me wrong.
Wolves 2-1 Man Utd: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants five wins for
British crash investigators on Tuesday launched an underwater operation to recover a body from the wreckage of the plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel. UK rescuers
UK rescuers launch bid to recover body from Sala's plane
The Champions League final of 2005 will forever be remembered as one of the all-time great games in the history of football, but especially in Liverpool as the Reds managed to win their fifth
Football: Salah, Origi strike to give Liverpool Champions
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-salah-origi-strike-to-give-liverpool-champions-league-triumph/
MADRID (REUTERS) - An early Mohamed Salah penalty and a late strike by Divock Origi gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's (June 1) all-English Champions League final as their coach Juergen Klopp finally got his hands on Europe's biggest prize.
Sorry, but Tottenham's miracle was better than Liverpool's
Mark Goddard, Actor: Lost in Space. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts (July 24, 1936), the actor (real name: Charles Goddard) grew up in Scituate, Massachusetts, where his father owned a five-and-ten. At Holy Cross, the head of the dramatic society encouraged him to become an actor and, soon, Goddard was off to Manhattan, attending the American
List of spaceflight-related accidents and incidents - Wikipedia
0 comments:
Post a Comment