Wed 03 October 2018, 12:52
Tottenham HotspurPossession is one of the key areas for Mauricio Pochettino as we face a Barcelona team renowned for keeping the ball in the Champions League at Wembley on Wednesday night (8pm).
Mauricio knows better than most what it takes against the Catalan giants having spent 12 years as a player and manager with Barca’s city rivals Espanyol.
Current La Liga champions, Barca are famed for the ‘tiki-taka’ brand of football of the club’s current golden era which has accounted for 33 major trophies since 2004/05 including nine La Liga titles and four Champions League wins.
You have to find a strategy to try to win the ball back as soon as possible and then try to play and keep possession
Asked how to counter that style – without giving too much away tactically – Mauricio explained: “It’s not magic. In football, when you have talented players, you have to find a strategy to try to win the ball back as soon as possible and then try to play and keep possession.
“When you play a team like Barcelona it is so important to fight in this area.
“It will be tough because when they play they have amazing quality but we have quality too and we have to force them to play in their half and try to dominate. It will be tough, but we are ready to compete.”
It was put to Mauricio that it has been said that now is a good time to play Barca on the back of draws against Girona and Athletic Bilbao and a shock defeat at Leganes in La Liga in recent weeks.
“You know, the competition always cheats you,” responded Mauricio, with a nod to Barca’s 4-0 win against PSV on Matchday One of the Champions League. “When you play Champions League and it’s Real Madrid or Barcelona, it’s nothing to do with the last few performances in La Liga.
“It’s a different competition and we feel we are going to face one of the best teams. Of course, we have in consideration the last few performances but when you play in a different environment and you play Champions League, everything changes.”
