MX23RW : Sunday, April 28 12:11:32| >> :120:4929:4929:
[monks data]
Attendance: 26,667
La Liga
Mar 10, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

0-2


Garcia (30')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Suarez (15'), Coutinho (28')

Ernesto Valverde: 'Chelsea game does not take priority'

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde insists that "it would be an error" to prioritise next week's meeting with Chelsea over the trip to Malaga on Saturday evening.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has insisted that all focus is on this weekend's La Liga trip to Malaga, rather than the upcoming showdown with Chelsea in the Champions League.

The Catalan giants claimed a 1-1 draw in last month's last-16 first leg at Stamford Bridge and are favourites to get the job done on home soil next week.

Before that European clash is a game with bottom-of-the-table Malaga, though, and Valverde is adamant that his players will not take their eye off the ball after recently dropping points against Las Palmas.

"All games are important. I think it would be an error to think the Chelsea game is more important for us," he told reporters at his pre-match presser. "The most important game is always the next game.

"As we have found against Las Palmas, we didn't win that game, we went into our next fixture under greater pressure which made the Atletico game even more important. So our objective is to exclusively focus on tomorrow's game.

"We played against Las Palmas who are in relegation trouble and we couldn't win that game. We also know that Malaga won against Barcelona last year and we don't want them to do that again. They are playing at two hundred percent, there will be a good atmosphere and Malaga will make things complicated for us."

Barcelona beat closest challengers Atletico Madrid in their most recent outing to open up a 10-point lead at the summit.

ID:320511: cacheID:320511:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2684:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Lionel Messi in action during the La Liga game between Barcelona and Real Madrid on December 3, 2016
Read Next:
Lionel Messi's record vs. Malaga
>
Read more about Ernesto Valverde Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
11Bournemouth34129134960-1145
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!