Injury-hit Barcelona could hardly have picked a more
difficult match as they bid to bounce back from their first defeat of the
season – an away date at Athletic Bilbao tomorrow, even though they haven't
lost there for nearly eight years.
It wasn't so much their play or tactics, but a lack of
hunger and desire shown by the players, with the team having already clinched a
spot in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Coach Gerardo Martino criticised his players' attitude
and warned that it needed to change for match against Bilbao. The Catalans
remain without Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Victor Valdes, but Xavi Hernandez,
Jordi Alba, Dani Alves and Adriano are available for the trip to the Basque
country.
Bilbao, unbeaten in their last eight games, will have to
ditch a dangerous trend if they are to beat Barcelona for the first time since
May 2006 – they have come from behind to win four times and draw twice in 14
games.
Under coach Ernesto Valverde, Bilbao have returned to a
free-flowing style of football that led the Basque club to the Europa League
and Copa del Rey finals two seasons ago before the exits of Javi Martinez and
Fernando Llorente.
Real Madrid will decide shortly before kick-off whether
to play Cristiano Ronaldo against Valladolid at the Bernabeu.
Everyone is waiting for Atletico Madrid's impressive
start to the season to come to a halt, with the 'other' Madrid club sitting
just three points off first-place Barcelona.
Atletico, who play Elche, routed Getafe 7-0 last weekend,
which led coach Diego Simeone to call the Spanish league "boring" due
to the disparity between Barcelona, Madrid and the other 18 clubs.
Culled from Independent
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