Neestrup previews Barcelona: 'We have to perform at our best'
Jacob Neestrup spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of tonight's UEFA Champions League showdown at FC Barcelona – here are the highlights from the F.C. Copenhagen head coach's press conference.
Expectations for the match
"We have to accept that they want the ball a lot, so we have to be good at defending. But we got our biggest European results, for example against Bayern away, because we forced ourselves to use our own strengths. So we have to be good on the ball, and we have to reach a higher level on the ball than we managed against Napoli.
"We have no problem with having to defend, but there is of course a limit to how much you can take. In order not to take too much, we have to be good on the ball ourselves. It is important that we use our European experience to be well-organised and remain tight as a team."
On Barcelona
"We know they're a tough opponent, no matter who's playing (in their team). It's important to use our European experience to be well-organised, be close together, and be good on the ball.
"Fortunately, football is a game where there are always opportunities, and there will be some tomorrow too. We have to perform at our best, but look at the Napoli game, how a random tackle in the 29th minute can change the premise of the game. Not that I'm hoping for red cards tomorrow for anyone, but that's football, anything can happen, the opportunity is there, and we have to play for the slim chance there is to get a big result.
"They're fielding a class team who are favorites, no matter who they play with. We also have a player suspended and are missing a few others, so it's going to be a close call."
About the pressure
"There is a lot of pressure on us, not least from ourselves. We are here to take our chance and ensure this isn't our last Champions League game this season. The white shirt obliges and the roughly 2,500 fans who have come down here to support us oblige us to do that."
About the absence of Andreas Cornelius
"He does not feel ready, and I will not comment on when he will be ready. I will get an answer to that during Thursday or Friday. We know that he will need a few days to fully recover after a game, and it was a tough hour for him against Napoli, where half the time he was outnumbered."
When asked who will score the goals, the head coach smiled as he replied: "Now Corner has not exactly been our top scorer in the last three years… It could be Elyounoussi, Dadason, Gabriel on a set piece or Jordan from the spot, direct or on a rebound, so I think there are several possibilities."
About scenarios in the other matches
"We don't deal with that during the match. A goal in all the other matches can change everything, so we focus on what we can do something about, and that is our performance."
About Roony Bardghji
"He has undergone an incredible development at Barcelona in a big team, and we are very, very happy for him. There are many at our club who have helped develop him or played with him in the Talent Department and in the first team, and not least our medical department worked 24/7 to bring him back after his serious injury.
"If he were to score tomorrow, we would of course be upset, but there are also some who can be proud to be part of bringing him back so that he can do so well, after the big step he took last summer."
