Alex Song reveals confidence boost from Tito Vilanova ahead of Barcelona debut

Alex Song has revealed the importance of Tito Vilanova's advice to him before he made his Barcelona debut in the club's 1-0 win over Valencia at the weekend.

The Cameroon midfielder, who joined Barcelona from Arsenal during the summer, has acknowledged that Vilanova played a pivotal part in his performance on Sunday.

The 24-year-old told Sport: "The coach spoke with me ahead of the game and explained what he expected of me.

"That really helped me calm down a bit and gave me a lot of confidence. My teammates also talked to me a lot and that was very helpful."

Barcelona's victory over Valencia ensured that they maintained their 100% start to the La Liga season.