Barcelona boss Luis Enrique claims that he is taking his side to Bayern Munich to win, despite holding a 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Two goals from an inspired Lionel Messi and a late third from Neymar ensured that the Catalan giants have one foot in the Berlin final, but the 45-year-old insists that his side will not be allowed to take their foot off the pedal.
“If [Pep] Guardiola says [we’re the best counterattacking team left in the Champions League] then that’s fantastic and I treat it as a compliment,” he said at a press conference.
“We’re not interested in a crazy game. We prefer to have the ball, hit [Bayern] on the break and, at some point, attack spaces and use them to hurt them.
“I’m only concerned about helping my players reach the final. We’ll see if we deserve to do so."
His Barcelona side have won plaudits from around Europe for their scintillating attacking play, but Enrique maintains that they must strike the right balance if they are to make their advantage count.
"You have to be coordinated" he stated. "If you only attack or only defend, you won’t win. We need do both, so it’s a question of balance.
“[A Champions League semi-final] can sometimes calm a player down. We’ll discuss how we can hurt Bayern and resolve the tie.
“We know what they’re capable of, so we must be prepared to suffer. They came back from behind in the quarter-finals [against Porto]. The match will be similar to the first leg, with few chances for and against.
“We prepare for games regardless of the previous result. Barça never speculate. The match will be great because both teams will be looking for the win."