Granada CF vs Barcelona - Enrique ducks debate sparked by Gerard Pique jibes - 7M sport

Granada CF vs Barcelona - Enrique ducks debate sparked by Gerard Pique jibes



Posted Saturday, April 01, 2017 by PA

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique on Saturday opted not to comment too much on Gerard Pique's anti-Real Madrid remarks on the basis his views were "more radical" than those of the defender.

Pique, speaking after Spain's midweek win over France, said he did not like the "values" of Real, took aim at the club's hierarchy and said he would never play for the Bernabeu outfit.

Luis Enrique, who spent five years with Real before joining Barcelona in 1996, was asked about the Catalan's outburst at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's LaLiga trip to Granada.

"I'm more radical than Pique, so it is perhaps better that I don't talk," he was quoted as saying by www.marca.com. "You can interpret that as you wish."

Barcelona head to Andalusia second in the table, two points behind arch rivals Real and having played a game more.

Pique has been rested, with Luis Enrique explaining: "We are giving Pique a rest as he is a crucial player and has played a lot of football."

Barcelona will also be without Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan through injury for the game at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, while Lionel Messi misses out through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign before the international break.

Messi was cautioned for dissent in the closing stages of Barcelona's 4-2 triumph over Valencia last month, meaning he will miss the journey south but be available for Wednesday's visit of third-spotted Sevilla.

Rafinha scored the only goal as Barcelona laboured to a 1-0 win at the Nou Camp in the reverse fixture in October, and Luis Enrique is expecting a similarly testing encounter this weekend.

"The match against Granada will be difficult," he said. "We found it hard in the first meeting, and now they need the points.

"As we approach the end of the season, the points are more important."

Sunday's match will be the first of nine in April for Barcelona, including the two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Juventus and the Clasico against Real.

"The calendar is intense as we wanted it to be," Luis Enrique added. "We have everything to play for in the league and the Champions League."

Second-bottom Granada head into the weekend seven points behind 17th-placed Leganes and with it all to do in their final 10 games to avoid relegation.

But coach Lucas Alcaraz remains upbeat about his side's chances of stunning their visitors.

"We know Barcelona have great players and that Messi won't be playing, but we've also got players out of action," he said on www.granadacf.es.

"We need to have all our senses focused on preparing ourselves well for the game and when it gets started, put everything into each and every minute, conscious that we'll be facing great players, but also believing that we'll have our own chances of winning the game and pushing them to the limit."

"We can't afford to give up on any game. Obviously Barcelona are very difficult rivals, but we must have the ambition and desire to beat them, because we need the three points."

Asked if his players believed they could triumph on Sunday, Alcaraz said: "Yes. We've already beaten Barca before in previous years, so why can't we do it again?"

The hosts will be without midfielder Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez after he picked up an injury on Morocco duty, but Colombian striker Adrian could feature after recovering from a muscular problem.



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