For their next La Liga fixture, Athletic Club travel to the Camp Nou to lock horns with Barcelona and have been welcomed in Catalunya with praise for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marcelo-c23554 Bielsa by Pep Guardiola.
In search of their fourth consecutive La Liga crown, Barcelona have added seven victories on the trot and look to add their eighth against Athletic Bilbao.
La Blaugrana come into the match after their 0-0 stalemate against AC Milan at the San Siro, their first non-goal scoring result since late 2009. However, the world’s best team have enough in the tank to usurp the challenge of the Basque entity.
With Les Cules rooting in their favour at the Camp Nou, Guardiola’s men have the odds stacked in their favour. However, the Catalan manager is wary of their league rivals for the night.
Guardiola was full of praise for Athletic tactician as he prepares for the match against his side. He stated that he has a good relationship with the Argentinean and rates him amongst the best in modern football.
The 41-year-old added that he has learnt a lot from Bielsa, who has deservedly made Los Leones one of the most feared sides in Europe this season.
Reflecting on the match between http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Athletic-Club-c38535, Guardiola believes it will be a tough encounter between two of the most hardworking sides in Spanish football.
"I consider him the best there is and it is a pleasure for me to face him," Guardiola said during the pre-match press conference.
"I have so much admiration for Bielsa and I try to learn from him. Athletic have been the sensation of Europe this season. They deserve the admiration of all.”
"In the games I've seen, they have been a pleasure to watch. This will be a complicated game, very tough and very demanding.”
Barcelona need to get the maximum against their Basque rivals to maintain their hopes of La Liga success at the end of the season.
The Catalan side are second in Primera Division rankings, with a 6-point gap between leaders Real Madrid and themselves, with a Camp Nou meeting remaining in the Spanish top flight domestic fixture schedule.
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