Alaves manager wary of Barcelona ahead of La Liga clash: “They’ll play as if it were the Clasico”

Facing off against Deportivo Alaves on home soil, Barcelona and Xavi desperately have a point to prove.

Following the defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, Xavi and his men have been subject to endless criticism.

The team conspicuously underperformed in the last three encounters, and thus a positive response by the team is anticipated on Sunday.

The opposition at hand will not make it easy for the Catalans to enjoy a walk in the park, but the words of Alaves coach Luis Garcia indicate that facing Barcelona in such conditions will be particularly tough due to the hosts potentially looking to be in refreshed spirits.

Luis Garcia expects Barcelona to be more motivated than ever

Appearing at the press conference before tomorrow’s match, the Alaves coach, via Mundo Deportivo, claimed Barcelona will be brimming with motivation.

“I heard that they met for an hour in the locker room, and the players had dinner alone. They are going to go out with 1,000 percent. Barça is going to try to have the best game of the year tomorrow as if it were the Clásico and they were playing against Real Madrid,” he said.

The experienced Spanish coach further emphasized that due to Barcelona being in bad shape, they will look at this encounter as the ideal opportunity to turn their situation around, stating:

“They have marked this match on the calendar as something they cannot fail. They have not been at their level and they have not given the best image in the last games, even so, they managed to beat Real Sociedad 0-1 in their field.

“But I expect the best possible Barça, without rotations. But I do expect a Barça more motivated than ever and with more desire to please, that is my feeling.” 

However, Luis Garcia did not dismiss his team and expressed that his men would be ready to stand their ground in hostile territory to grab the all-important three points.

“We hope to complicate life for him and we are going to go with everything we have, because we also have three very high points at stake,” he said.

“They will come out to kill us, otherwise they will not meet for an hour in the locker room or go on a conspiracy before a game. From there we hope that they will find the best Alavés, equally motivated and with the same desire to win. the three points.”