Cosmin Contra insisted Getafe were not fazed by their duel with Barcelona on Saturday. "In life you can only be afraid of death."
Los Azulones are in the midst of a slump, with just one win in their last five matches, and face the in-form Catalan giants later today, but the Coach was adamant that his team could compete with their more esteemed opponents.
"Afraid? In life you can only be afraid of death, nothing else," he said at a Press conference.
"You can't be afraid of playing football. We must have respect [for Barca's attacking trident].
"They're three of the best in the world. Barca are favourites clearly, but 11 against 11, by doing more work and having more support, we can even things out. But we fear nothing.
"I'd take the draw now, but I like to always play for the win. A point is significant though, especially against a big team like Barcelona.
"Last year, a point at Camp Nou made sure [our top-flight status] depended on the final day of the season.
"At no time have Barcelona lost their identity. You can play any match differently, but the identity is not lost.
"It's only an XI that you put out on the pitch. They have a fairly large squad and can still win games without their attacking trio."
Contra was then quizzed on Getafe's tactics for the match, and he was keen to see his side take advantage of any counterattacks which fell their way.
"We've tested several players. The system can vary during matches," the Romanian added.
"Although you start a game one way, it then changes. We are very close-knit and never don’t feel comfortable.
"Barcelona will shut our midfield down. We'll try to take advantage of our desire, speed, counterattack and set-pieces.
"After Valencia beat us, the team got the message against Atletico, even though we suffered against them with one less player in the second half.
"I would like the Coliseum to be an awkward pitch for any rivals, especially for bigger teams. There have never been any problems here, not even from our rivals."
