MX23RW : Friday, March 15 22:09:10
Mar 13, 2019 at 8pm UK at ​Camp Nou
Attendance: 92,346
Barcelona
5-1
Lyon
Messi (18' pen., 78'), Coutinho (31'), Pique (81'), Dembele (86')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Tousart (58')

Barca boss Ernesto Valverde wary of the threat posed by Lyon ahead of second leg

Barca boss Ernesto Valverde wary of the threat posed by Lyon ahead of second leg
© Reuters
Valverde's side are big favourites

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has warned victory over Lyon in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie is no formality.

Valverde's side are big favourites after squandering a hatful of chances when they were held to a goalless draw in France three weeks ago.

But following shock wins last week for Manchester United and Ajax against big guns Paris St Germain and Real Madrid respectively, Valverde is taking nothing for granted.

"Nil-nil from the first leg is a result which benefits neither side because if neither of us score it will go into extra time," Valverde told a press conference.

"Lyon will come here with their weapons, they've got a very strong attack – very quick, powerful players up front and I'm sure they'll try to exploit that.

"They know how important it would be for them to get an away goal tomorrow, so I'm sure they'll look for that too."

Barca made a surprise quarter-final exit last season after being knocked out by Roma and while Valverde said that was of little concern, he admitted last week's upsets proved there are no easy games in the knockout stages.

"Look, we're not worrying too much about what happened a year ago, we've spoken enough about that. We're just worried about tomorrow's game," Valverde said.

"Last year happened. The other Champions League games are very important to appreciate what the other teams are like and it's a reminder that there are no small teams.

"Also, the result of the first leg does not always matter that much. You've seen some big turnarounds in the games last week.

"But in our case it's a very balanced result from the first leg. We have to win tomorrow if we want to qualify."

Valverde confirmed Ousmane Dembele will be assessed but he remains a big doubt after sustaining a hamstring injury in Saturday's home win against Rayo Vallecano, which kept Barca seven points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Lyon captain Nabil Fekir missed the first leg through suspension and said he had been counting down the days for Wednesday's return fixture.

"Barcelona are one of the best teams in Europe," the France international told Lyon's official website.

"It's always fun to play against these kinds of teams and it's normal that the fans expect a lot from me in this match. We will give our all. Even if we know that it's going to be a tough match."

Lyon let slip a two-goal lead at Strasbourg on Saturday and lie third in Ligue 1, seven points behind second-placed Lille and 21 adrift of runaway leaders PSG.


Click here for more stories about Ernesto Valverde

Click here for more stories about Barcelona

Share this article now:
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola speaks to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during their Premier League clash at Anfield on October 7, 2018
Read Next:
Premier League clubs have chance to match Champions League record
>

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City30242479215874
2Liverpool30227168175173
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs30201957322561
4Arsenal30186663392460
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd30177658401858
6Chelsea29176650311957
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves30128103836244
8Watford30127114244-243
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham30116133743-639
10Leicester CityLeicester30115143842-438
11Everton30107134142-137
12Bournemouth30114154154-1337
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3097142938-934
14Crystal Palace3096153641-533
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2996143242-1033
16Southampton3079143450-1630
17Burnley3086163457-2330
18Cardiff CityCardiff3084182757-3028
19Fulham3045212868-4017
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield3035221553-3814

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Login, I already have my ad-free pass
Log in to customise Sports Mole
Buy ad-free access (show me the options)
Buy monthly ad-free access for £1.20/month
Buy yearly ad-free access for £12 (2 months free)
Settings - Logout - Manage your account
Settings - Logout - Manage your account