l | Goal.com
"Racing Santander did not come to Barcelona for a stroll, but to spring a surprise." Defiant words from Jose Alberto Lopez, and the Cantabrian coach delivered them 24 hours before his side's eagerly awaited clash with La Liga leaders Barcelona, tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Camp Nou.
Speaking to the press after the final training session, the coach made no secret of his excitement for such an exceptional occasion. "We have a mission we all dreamed of since childhood: to play in stadiums like tomorrow's," he said. "It is an extremely difficult match away from home given Barcelona's current level, but we will try to be brave, to show our usual capabilities, and to display boldness."
Racing arrive in difficult circumstances. Suspension rules out Andre Almeida, while injuries sideline Simon Eriksson and Andres Martin. Still, they draw on the memory of the Copa del Rey tie in which they pressed Barcelona until the final moments.
Jose Alberto believes Wednesday's clash will be a different animal entirely. "It will not be anything like that match. That was a match that lasted 90 minutes, whereas now it is a league match."
The Asturian coach refused to give anything away about possible changes to his line-up, insisting his philosophy makes no distinction between starter and substitute.
"There are no starting players or substitutes, but rather performance measured by performance, and we analyse it and take decisions based on it," he said. "Thinking about changes when facing the best team, or one of the best in the world, is complicated, but we will take decisions and choose the players we believe are the most suitable to surprise them. We will not disclose anything."
Praise for Hansi Flick's team flowed freely, with Racing's coach spelling out what sets Barcelona apart from the rest of the elite. "They have varied attacking options that enable them to hurt you, and defensively they press you hard after losing the ball. It seems they don't give you a moment's rest, and this is the difference between them and other teams of the same level. We have to be extremely alert, especially when we lose the ball."
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His parting words pinpointed the key to holding firm at the Camp Nou. "They always play the way they want to. We have to be at a high level as a team, to make an enormous effort and show solidarity, and defensively we have to try to defend as far away as possible from our goal."
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