Ivan Rakitic: Barcelona must be more ‘prepared’

Ivan Rakitic believes Barcelona must be more ‘prepared’ going forward after admitting they were caught out by Lionel Messi’s injury.

“We’re not happy, but that’s football,” the midfielder said after Saturday’s 4-2 win against Sevilla.

“He was unlucky to get hurt when helping the team and you could see quickly that it didn’t look good.

“Now we all have to pull together and show that without Leo, the team can move forward. We wish him a quick recovery.

“It’s difficult to [keep your performance levels up]. Until 2-0 I think we had a great game. Going ahead, we have to prepare changes quicker.

“We must be prepared beforehand and make the change as soon as possible. We played for a long time with a man less.

“My respect for Sevilla fans will always be there. Sevilla will always be in my heart. La Liga is a bit crazy and the Champions League demands the most from you.

“We have to plan matches well, work hard and pull together.”

Tags Ivan Rakitic Lionel Messi
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