Gerardo Martino: "It suits us to have more possession" | FC Barcelona
Gerardo Martino held an official Champions League press conference this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s showdown with Celtic Park. The Argentine manager, who made his debut in the competition with a win over Ajax, is aware of how difficult it will be to defeat Celtic and he warns that his players need to take a step forward in Messi’s absence.
FC Barcelona train in Celtic Park, again | FC Barcelona
Nearly a year later, Barça have returned to Celtic Park. This time, however, the Blaugrana hope to avoid a repeat from last year’s 2-1 defeat and come away from Scotland with a better result. The team managed by Tata Martino trained on the pitch of ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League showdown.
Celtic FC–FC Barcelona: Did you know......? | FC Barcelona
Celtic have won seven out of their last nine European games at Celtic Park, with their only defeat coming last year against Juventus (0-3). The Scottish champions didn’t concede a single goal in their three home qualifying round games, beating Cliftonville 2-0, Elfsborg 1-0 and Shaktar Karagandy 3-0.
Cesc: "We learned our lesson last year" | FC Barcelona
It was a reoccurring theme during Cesc Fàbregas’ pre-match press conference this afternoon as many of the gathered journalists asked questions regarding last year’s showdown. "We learned our lesson last year. It was a good game, but it got away from us because of small details and that’s what we have to try an minimise. We have to play with an attacking mentality," said Barça’s No4.
Zubizarreta: "We know what to expect at Celtic Park" | FC Barcelona
Barça are back in Glasgow for the second game of this year’s Champions League group stage, following last year’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of Celtic. Andoni Zubizarreta spoke to the media before boarding the plane for Scotland and insisted: "we know what to expect at Celtic Park, we know what the atmosphere will be like. Celtic are a team who are very clear about how they play".
Celtic, a wolf in sheep's clothing | FC Barcelona
A year ago, Neil Lennon’s men defeated Tito Vilanova’s team (2-1) with a defensive approach that the Blaugrana were unable to break down. Now, despite that victory, the Scottish team "aren’t expecting much" from tomorrow’s match, according to Lennon.
Dongou to miss two weeks with ligament sprain | FC Barcelona
Tests confirm that Dongou has sprained the MCL in his right knee. The player will be miss the next two weeks. The Cameroonian sustained the injury during the match against Mallorca, he was subbed off after 30 minutes of play.
Players forced Ancelotti summit - Yahoo Eurosport UK
The club are in an uneasy state just weeks into the Italian coach’s reign, thanks to some inconsistent performances and the weekend defeat in the league at home to Atletico Madrid. Before Monday’s training, the players reportedly requested a meeting with Ancelotti and Zidane, to discuss what has been a difficult start to the season.
Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque open to Diego Costa call-up - ESPN FC
"He has played very well," Del Bosque said. "He is one of the architects of Atletico’s good form at the moment. But we have also Iago Aspas at Liverpool and Michu at Swansea, others at Manchester City [Alvaro Negredo] and Tottenham [Roberto Soldado]."
Valencia lose Alves for a month - Yahoo Eurosport UK
The Brazilian had been Los Che’s regular starter ahead of Vicente Guaita in the League this season, with the latter taking appearances in Europe, but now faces up to four weeks on the sidelines. Valencia have today confirmed that the injury Alves suffered in the final 15 minutes of the weekend game against Rayo Vallecano was a hamstring strain.
Granada move clear of bottom three | Sky Sports Football
The hosts won for the first time since the opening game of the season to move into mid-table. Moroccan forward El-Arabi broke the deadlock with a penalty early in the second half and headed a second from close range to seal the points. Victory would have sent Athletic into the top four, while going into the game the hosts had not managed a goal in September.