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Rediff.com  » Sports » Barcelona ready to punish City again; Arsenal target top spot

Barcelona ready to punish City again; Arsenal target top spot

November 01, 2016 14:25 IST
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Barcelona will punish City errors, warns Enrique

Lionel Messi

IMAGE: Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League group C match. Photograph: Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Barcelona will put Manchester City to the sword if they commit the same kind of errors as they did in their Champions League encounter last month, coach Luis Enrique said.

After a slip by Fernandinho allowed Lionel Messi to open the scoring in Barca's 4-0 win over City at the Nou Camp, goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent off early in the second half after handling the ball outside the box.

"If you make errors, you pay dearly. In that way I expect the same type of game as the last one. I expect the same script in terms of the match," Enrique told reporters.

"We only know how to play in one way and that is to go to win. If they leave spaces behind we can take advantage of those. We have a great squad and I have confidence in my players."

Enrique is aware of the threat posed by Sergio Aguero, who was left out of the clash at Barca, but said his team would not change their approach for the Argentine.

"I don't think we have to talk too much about Aguero -- we know how well he plays. We know how good he is and how easy it is for him to score goals. But the way we approach in a general sense doesn't change," he added.

Barcelona, with three wins from three games in Group C, can secure progress to the knockout phase at the Etihad on Tuesday, while City could be knocked out of second spot by Borussia Moenchengladbach, who host Celtic.

Walcott, Cazorla, Bellerin, Monreal missing for Arsenal

Mesut Ozil

IIMAGE: Arsenal's Mesut Ozil celebrates scoring a hat trick against PFC Ludogorets Razgrad. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge Livepic/Action Images via Reuters

Striker Theo Walcott, midfielder Santi Cazorla and defenders Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal will miss Arsenal's Champions League Group A game at Bulgarian club Ludogorets on Tuesday.

"Nacho, Hector, Santi and Theo haven't travelled," manager Arsene Wenger told a news conference at the Vasil Levski Stadium on Monday.

Arsenal and Paris St Germain, who play Basel on Tuesday, are joint top with seven points from three matches and Wenger urged his players to win the group in order to improve the chances of getting a better draw in the knockout stage.

Ludogorets and Basel have one point.

"It's our prime target to win the group," said Wenger. "We have a home game with Paris St Germain to come so we have a good opportunity tomorrow.

"For the second leg of the last 16 at home, if it goes to extra-time or penalties...it's a little advantage. We have paid the price many times when we've finished second in the group, having to play Barcelona or Bayern Munich."

Two weeks ago Arsenal crushed Ludogorets 6-0 at the Emirates Stadium with Mesut Ozil scoring a hat-trick.

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Source: REUTERS
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