Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has admitted that he was worried that his knee injury in August would derail his long-term prospects with the Catalan giants. The Uruguay international suffered the problem during the Super Cup defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, and he struggled to recapture his form on his return to the starting lineup.
Former Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Barcelona and Real Madrid are favourites to reach the final of the Champions League, as they possess the individual talents of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The La Liga duo have cruised through the quarter-final stage with Messi and Ronaldo dominating the scoresheet for their respective sides.
In a report covered by Goal.com, Ancelotti was asked about his favourites for this season’s Champions League, where he said: "Clearly Champions League games are decided by the smallest of details and in a one-off game it is sufficient for a refereeing decision to knock someone out.Madrid and Barcelona are favourites for their experience and because they have Ronaldo and Messi.It is clear [Juventus and Roma] are not favourites because they are up against two European powers but they still will have their chances."
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has urged his teammates to be wary of the threat possessed by Chelsea despite their mixed performances since the turn of the year. The Blues ended a run of back-to-back defeats with victories over West Bromwich Albion and Hull City, and Pique is not taking the game likely with no wins in their previous seven meetings with the Capital outfit.
In a report covered by Four Four Two, Pique admitted that the Catalans have high expectations on their head, and though they go as favourites for the Champions League tie, a poor result against the Blues could turn their worse into one which is not so good.
Ernesto Valverde has rejected suggestions that Barcelona will become complacent after opening up a massive 14 point advantage over Real Madrid after the latest round of league games. The El Clasico witnessed Barcelona getting a 3-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. This turned out to be a huge victory for the team at a time when they already have been dominating the La Liga. Equally, Real Madrid have been unable to build on from last season’s success, as the team has been dropping far too many points. It led to an 11 point advantage for Barcelona coming into the match.
Goals from Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and Aleix Vidal secured a comprehensive victory for Barcelona, while the completely took advantage of the Carvajal’s red card in the second half. Barcelona only have the cup competitions and the domestic challenges to worry about. There are suggestions that the Catalans would be strengthening a lot in the January transfer window, as rumours have once again started linking Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho with a move to the Camp Nou. At the moment, there is a heavy reliance on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to score the goals. Madrid have already lost the possibility of winning the title from on their own set of results following this result.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has admitted that the Catalan giants were affected in the early part of the campaign due to the Neymar transfer saga. The Brazil international sealed a world-record €222m move to Paris Saint-Germainin early August, and shortly after, the Spanish outfit suffered a damaging 5-1 Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid across two legs.
Speaking prior to Barca's Copa del Rey game against third-tier Real Murcia, Valverde reflected on the turbulent days in the early part of his reign, he said: "I think everyone has their opinion. It is true that at those moments the situation really did us a bit of harm. The environment as well. There was a lot of noise around the club. But I just focus on what happens on the field, that's my job. Everything can affect that situation but I am just concerned about what happens on the field."
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has admitted that the Catalan giants were affected in the early part of the campaign due to the Neymar transfer saga.
The Brazil international sealed a world-record €222m move to Paris Saint-Germain in early August, and shortly after, the Spanish outfit suffered a damaging 5-1 Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid across two legs.
Speaking prior to Barca's Copa del Rey game against third-tier Real Murcia, Valverde reflected on the turbulent days in the early part of his reign, he said: "I think everyone has their opinion. It is true that at those moments the situation really did us a bit of harm. The environment as well. There was a lot of noise around the club. But I just focus on what happens on the field, that's my job. Everything can affect that situation but I am just concerned about what happens on the field."
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has admitted that Neymar's move to Paris Saint-Germain was tough to take for him as a player.
The Brazil international became the world's most expensive footballer in August after Les Parisiens paid a world-record €222 million to release him from his contract.
A number of Neymar's former teammates have admitted their disappointment at the forward's decision, and Rakitic laid on the same saying: "For me, personally, it was really hard, not only because he's one of the biggest players -- also he's a big person. He was really important for our dressing room, and he's one of the best guys I know in football. So for me it was really a bad decision because I liked to have him in my team. But we have to respect Neymar's decision to move. If a team can buy him and he decides to leave Barcelona, we have to respect it and wish him the best of luck."
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique insists that he could step down from the Spain national side if his support for the Catalonia's independence referendum is deemed an issue.
The La Masia graduate has been an open supporter of the movement, although the Spanish constitution has yet to recognise Catalonia as a separate nation.
Amid the unsuitable atmosphere outside the Camp Nou, Ernesto Valverde's side had initially tried to postpone their La Liga fixture against Las Palmas for another date. However, the Spanish football authorities denied the request and the Catalan giants were forced to play in an empty stadium to avoid a deduction of at least six points.
Barcelona have officially confirmed the signing of Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of around £96.6m.
The deal is likely to rise to around £135.5m with the numerous add-ons negotiated as part of the agreement.
Dembele had been the strong subject of speculation in recent weeks following Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record £198m sum. Dortmund were initially reluctant to part ways with their promising prospect, but the chance to make a hefty profit from the youngster was too hard to refuse. The German giants have since recruited Andriy Yarmolenko from Dynamo Kyiv to fill the void.
Real Madrid superstar Sergio Ramos would welcome the prospect of seeing Neymar leave Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The World Cup winner admits that the departure of Neymar would make life easier for Los Blancos, who will be defending their La Liga and Champions League crowns next term.
