‘To stop players like him’… Sevilla player discusses how he hopes to stop €180m Barcelona winger | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will have a rather demanding month up ahead for them. Hansi Flick’s side has started off the new year in a positive way, and they will want to carry that momentum into February. However, Barcelona will definitely have their work cut out for them.

Beyond just the upcoming game against Valencia in the Copa del Rey, La Blaugrana also have a meeting with Sevilla away from home in La Liga right afterwards. To stay alive in the title race when it comes to the league, that game will serve as a must-win match for Barcelona.

However, Hansi Flick’s side will not be the only one competing for a positive result. Even Sevilla, who will be hoping to give Barça a tough time in La Liga as they aim for something worth seeking in this game as well, will be determined to get a good result. Even ahead of the clash, a prominent player of the opposition side has been asked to speak about it.

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Sevilla midfielder Sambi Lokonga was asked if saw Barcelona as the best team in the world right now, to which he replied with a rather safer option and answer:

“Barcelona, Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal… It’s going to be a very, very difficult game. But it’s football, and we have to prepare to win, as always.”

However, he also chose to speak about a certain €180 million-rated Barcelona star as well. For this particular player, Lokonga was full dont praise and believes that stopping him will require more than just an individual player’s efforts:

“I really like him; he’s a great player, very young. To stop players like him, we have to defend as a team. One-on-one, it’s very difficult, so we need to close him down collectively.”

For now, Barça cannot afford to focus solely on the Sevilla game. While it will definitely be in the back of their minds, their first challenge before that will come in the Copa del Rey. However, despite already having thrashed Valencia before this season, Barcelona will be expecting a much tougher and intense contest this time around.