"Barcelona" head coach Ernesto Valverde praised the team's performance against Milan's "Inter" and stated that the absence of Lionel Messi added extra motivation for many.
On Wednesday, "Barcelona" defeated Milan's "Inter" 2-0 and almost secured a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Prior to the match, there was much talk about L. Messi's injury, but the "Inter" team failed to defend or attack their opponents in these matches.
"We always play as a team, but when Messi is on the field, we always have an advantage, because he can create something amazing at any time. Today we were good both playing our football and creating chances," the coach said after the match.
"We really fought against a strong opponent, but we managed to stop them from playing, as the result on the scoreboard shows. We spent almost the entire match on their half of the field.
We are satisfied with this performance, as these were really important matches," E. Valverde praised the team.
"Barcelona" has three days to rest before the "El Clasico" match in Spain. Although Real Madrid is currently in a big crisis, E. Valverde expects very tough matches.
"Looking at their current situation, I think Real will be even more dangerous. Lopetegui's players will come here hoping to show a better game and their strengths," the specialist added.
