Barcelona still have very little chance of catching leaders Real Madrid and securing a fourth successive La Liga title despite closing the gap to eight points, coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday.
|Last Updated: Mar 20, 2012, 08:34 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Barcelona still have very little chance of catching leaders Real Madrid and securing a fourth successive La Liga title despite closing the gap to eight points, coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday.
Real conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to Malaga on Sunday, ending an 11-match winning streak, and Barca`s 2-0 win at Sevilla on Saturday left Real on 71 points to Barca`s 63 with 11 matches left.
"I can`t deny that it`s better to be eight points behind than 10 and tomorrow we have to come out and compete again," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of the Spanish, European and world champions` home game against Granada on Tuesday.
"I still think that we won`t win the league," added the former Barca and Spain midfielder.
"I am delighted that the fans and the players think we can do it. It`s nice to have that hope.
"But it will be very hard to win all 11 games we have left and they (Real) will drop very few points.
"This is the first time we are coming from behind, but the point is that we are coming from a long way back and all the teams have a lot at stake."
Guardiola has had the upper hand over his Real counterpart Jose Mourinho in head-to-head clashes this season but Barca`s patchy away form has left them trailing in the league.
The only team to beat Real at their Bernabeu stadium this term, Barca look to have an easier run-in in the league campaign and host their arch-rivals at their Nou Camp arena next month.
Real, who play at struggling Villarreal on Wednesday, still have away games at Osasuna`s Reyno de Navarra stadium, where Barca lost 3-2 last month, at city neighbours Atletico Madrid and at Athletic Bilbao. They also have tough home games remaining against third-placed Valencia and Sevilla.
Barca`s trickiest away match looks to be at Levante, who are currently in fourth, and fifth-placed Malaga visit the Nou Camp at the beginning of May.
Both holders Barca and Real are through to the Champions League quarter-finals and could meet in the final. Barca play Bilbao in May`s King`s Cup final having disposed of Real in the last eight.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.