Tito Vilanova has praised his Barcelona side after the 3-0 win over Spartak Moscow that sees them qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves were enough to give the Blaugrana the three points, and the 44-year-old has admitted he praised the players at the final whistle for their endeavours.
“After losing to Celtic, if we had not won today, it would have been very complicated for us,” he told reporters. “Going into the last game fighting to qualify is always difficult.
“It was better to solve everything here, as we have done.
“The players have shown once again how big they are and have adapted well to the clod weather and the artificial turf.
“We played very well and I have congratulated them.”
He also commented on the performance of Messi, who has moved to within five goals of Gerd Mullers' calendar record of 85 strikes in a year.
“Messi is a player that never ceased to amaze me,” he said. “His ambition, his desire to score and to win is incredible.
“And added to that, his tactical intelligence is brilliant and he's great both defensively and offensively.”
