Elche boss Fran Escriba has taken a philosophical view of his team’s chances in their Copa del Rey second-leg tie against Barcelona on Thursday.
The Ilicitanos trail 5-0 from the first leg at the Camp Nou and Escriba unsurprisingly feels there is no chance of his players causing an upset against Luis Enrique’s men and reaching the quarter-finals.
“I don’t think there is any likelihood of us coming back. Maybe people will criticise me for that but we don’t have many options,” he told a Press conference.
“You could say there is a 1 per cent possibility but I think we have no chance. It is already difficult to win any game against Barca but to come back in this tie would be utopian.
“Our aim is to play as well as possible and put on a good display. They say nothing is impossible in football, but this practically is.”
Escriba denied that Thursday’s game will give any pointers to the League game between the two clubs at the Martinez Valero in nine days’ time.
“Barca will reserve some of their best players, although the game will make us aware of certain formations and not individuals.
“But if Barcelona function then they are simply unstoppable,” he argued.
