Affichage des articles dont le libellé est despite. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est despite. Afficher tous les articles

jeudi 12 septembre 2013

Valdes content despite Barcas stuttering form

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has said he is happy with his side's start to the campaign despite the fact the Catalans haven't shone in any of their past three games.

Valdes was the hero as Barca lifted a record 11th Spanish Super Cup on away goals following a 0-0 draw (1-1 on aggregate) with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night as he made a string of fine saves.

And with three clean sheets from the first four games of the season, the 31-year-old is pleased with how his final campaign at the Camp Nou has begun.

"I am very happy both on a personal level with my performances and how the team has started the season," he told Barca TV.

"My role at Barca means I don't have to intervene a lot. I have to do so with my feet more often than with my hands and now and again it is good to show that I can also do so with my hands."

However, after a 7-0 thrashing of Levante on the opening day, new Barca boss Gerardo Martino hasn't had the most convincing of starts as, in between the two draws with Atleti, the Spanish champions were also lucky to come away with a 1-0 win from their trip to Malaga last weekend.

Valdes, though, is hoping that having clinched the first silverware of the season they can kick on when they face another stiff test away to Valencia on Sunday.

"There are always aspects you can improve. Something which you do well today, the next day you might do badly. It will be a very tough season because Barca is always the team to beat so we need to go game by game.

"It is very important to start the season with this title. The players give it the value it deserves.

"We knew Atletico are a very good team playing on the counter-attack and taking advantage of the second ball. That is a style of play that is very uncomfortable for us."

And a former Barca player Oriol Romeu is hoping his Valencia side can follow Atletico's lead.

Romeu has joined Los Che on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea and believes his new teammates are capable of at least repeating their 1-1 draw with Barca at the Mestalla last season.

"Barca are uncomfortable when they don't have the ball and, with the pressure that Atletico put on them, they managed to take the ball away from them for long spells," he told the club's website.

"If we can do the same and be well-positioned at the back then we have the team to be able to beat them."

Valencia boss Miroslav Djukic could hand a debut to Colombian striker Dorlan Pabon after his move from Monterrey was completed on Wednesday and the Serbian is expected to make a few changes after publicly criticising his side's performance in the 3-1 defeat to Espanyol last weekend.

Earlier on Sunday, Real Madrid could move above Barca to the top of the table as they host Athletic Bilbao in the first midday kick-off of the season.

Madrid have won both their opening games by the odd goal and new boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted after Monday's 1-0 win over Granada that his side were still coming to terms with the change in philosophy he is looking to implement.

The Italian is likely to be forced into naming another very offenisve line-up though as injuries to Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso and Asier Illarramendi mean all of Luka Modric, Isco, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria should start.

And on a footballing feast on Sunday, the meat in the Real and Barca sandwich is arguably the best match of the weekend as Spain's other two Champions League representatives, Real Sociedad and Atletico, square off at Anoeta.

Fixtures

Friday

Almeria v Elche, Rayo Vallecano v Levante (both 2100 GMT)

Saturday

Celta Vigo v Granada (1700 GMT), Valladolid v Getafe (1900 GMT), Osasuna v Villarreal (2100 GMT)

Sunday

Real Madrid v Athletic Bilbao (1000 GMT), Espanyol v Real Betis (1500 GMT), Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid (1700 GMT), Sevilla v Malaga, Valencia v Barcelona (1900 GMT)

lundi 5 août 2013

Neymar fine despite blood concerns, says Iniesta

AppId is over the quota

Barcelona striker Neymar is in good health and training with the team despite reports that he may be suffering from anaemia, the Brazilian wonderkid's new teammate Andres Iniesta told reporters Monday.

Barca's flamboyant new signing has reportedly been put on a special diet by the club's medical staff to ease signs of anaemia just days after he made his debut for the club, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Anaemia is a treatable condition but is thought to be extremely debilitating for top athletes since a low level of haemoglobin in the blood can cause excessive tiredness.

But midfielder Iniesta moved to reassure fans that their star summer signing will be ready for the start of the season.

"The blood test is OK, he can practise," he said at the start of Barca's Asia tour in Bangkok, adding there "should be no problem".

The Brazilian international joined the Catalan giants in June for 57 million euros ($75.7 million, £49.5 million) and made his long-awaited debut last week in a 2-2 friendly draw against Lechia Gdasnk in Poland.

"It takes time to adjust to a new situation," Iniesta said of Neymar's adaptation to his new teammates and surroundings.

"I think Neymar seems to be close with Dani (Alves). Time will help... he has a lot of talent and he can play with the other players. It shouldn't be a problem."

Barcelona are hoping Neymar will repay his lavish transfer fee, more so with La Liga rivals Real Madrid spending heavily in the close season -- including launching an apparent world transfer record bid for Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale.