- Title: Barca coach Valverde looks for three points at Slavia Prague
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BARCELONA NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "We expect an excellent opponent. We have seen the two matches in the Champions League where they beat Sevilla. This is big opponent who can face any team, is offensive, runs a lot and we will have to play very well to win the match. This is a very important match for us. This will be a very important three points." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "We will see what happens when we choose the day (for the Classico), if there is no other demo going on. We have to trust it will go well and people, our fans, will react well. We should behave as adults, of course I would like to know the date but now it is with the football federation and league leadership." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA DEFENDER CLEMENT LENGLET, SAYING: "We know that this is a team with athletic ability and that they are able to run very fast. So we know that it will be a tactical game, full of battles among the players and we have to react fast to win this match." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA DEFENDER CLEMENT LENGLET, SAYING: "El Classico is just another kind of match, it's very focused with a lot of viewers and the players are always very motivated and I don't care if it happens in October or December, it doesn't matter for me." SLAVIA PRAGUE STADIUM VARIOUS OF SLAVIA PRAGUE TRAINING SLAVIA PRAGUE NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) SLAVIA COACH JINDRICH TRPISOVSKY SAYING: "The best from all around the world play against us tomorrow, and only when the boys do their best and force them to play our style - this is the only possibility on how to succeed. If we play their game - we don't have much of a chance." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) SLAVIA DEFENDER VLADIMIR COUFAL SAYING: "Since my childhood when I started follow soccer, I was following the Champions League, Barcelona and the players who will perform here in Eden (town quarter where the stadium is located), that's why I am looking forward to it tomorrow. This is a great moment for all of us." END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 21:55
- Keywords: Champions League Slavia Prague Barcelona Ernesto Valverde
- Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26K7CV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde praised on Tuesday (October 22) his upcoming Champions League opponents Slavia Prague, after the Czech side had snatched a surprise point at Inter Milan in their first match of the Group F campaign.
On paper, Slavia should be the easiest team in a group dominated by heavyweights with Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan completing the group.
Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet said the Czechs are quick on the field of play and his teammates will need to be sharp to counter the attacking movement.
Valverde also spoke about the uncertain league fixture against arch-rivals Real Madrid which has faced scheduling issues due to a wave of protests in Barcelona.
Valverde's team lie second in the group level on four points with leaders Borussia Dortmund after the first two matches with Inter and Slavia trailing with one point each.
Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky said the only chance his team had to win the game was to impose its own playing style onto the Spanish giants and dictate the way the game is played.
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