‘I’d play the kids against Barca if…’

Unai Emery distrusts Barcelona’s expected changes to their starting XI this weekend, and reflects he won’t be changing too much himself.

Sevilla travel out to the Camp Nou this Saturday evening in 10th place in the League, 33 points behind their Catalan opponents.

Coming into the game off the back of a defeat in Milan, Barca are expected to make changes, with a double-header against Real Madrid to follow on.

Even so, Emery does not see this as an improved chance for his team.

“Their defeat in Milan, I do not think it will affect their mood,” began the former Valencia boss to today’s Press conference.

“For the effort put in during that game they may make some change, and they also have an important match with Real Madrid in the midweek.

“In six days they will have to play three times and this means that the physical capability of some players will not be at 100 per cent and they will have to make changes.

“But, we cannot trust that, because they recently made changes and beat Getafe 6-1.”

Emery was taken to task on whether he would be making changes himself, given that the club’s best chance of achieving European qualification would be to beat Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.

The Andalucians are five points adrift of the sixth and currently final Europa League qualification position in La Liga.

“We’re not going to approach the game differently. If some would assure me that being beaten by Barca with our youth players would guarantee that we progress in the Cup then I would do it.

“But nobody can guarantee a game or anything else. The League is also there and we should not put it to one side.

“The idea is to play for every chance that we have, to do so at a very high level of efficiency to have changes to win the game, so we will field a competitive team.

“The only way I would change something about tomorrow’s game would be if I know that it would secure our progress through on Wednesday.

“The worst would be to lose in Barcelona and also against Atletico. So tomorrow we will play for the win and the same on Wednesday.”

Tags Emery
La Liga - Club News