Elche coach hails Barcelona as one of the best teams in the world ahead of La Liga clash | OneFootball

After a midweek win over Copenhagen that helped them secure a place in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, Barcelona will shift their focus back to La Liga, where they take on Elche this weekend.

It is a must-win game for the Catalans, considering that they have just a one-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.

Heading into this game, Elche coach Eder Sarabia was all praises for Barcelona, but he highlighted the importance of securing a positive result this weekend.

What Sarabia said ahead of Barcelona clash

Speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Sarabia hailed Barcelona as one of the best teams in the world and acknowledged the difficulty of the opponent.

“For me, Barcelona are one of the best teams in the world when they play in the opponent’s half, so we’re going to try to prevent them from doing that,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

He went on to explain that it will be important for his team to know “what to do when we have the ball, when we don’t have it, and when we recover it.”

Sarabia has called Barcelona one of the best teams in Europe. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Sarabia explained further that Barcelona could hurt Elche on the counter, boasting a gifted attacking line that comprises the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

The Elche coach, though, said he has faith in his team to take on Barcelona while calling this affair a ‘beautiful’ game for fans.

“We have the ability to overcome their pressure and take the game to their side,” said Sarabia, whose team is not in the best of form right now.

Talking about the importance of not allowing Barcelona a period of early dominance, Sarabia highlighted how the Catalans can be unstoppable at times.

“If they get two goals ahead, it’s usually more complicated. Elche can be hit hard or outplayed at times,” he said.