On the heels of the 1-1 draw result against Napoli in the opening leg of its Europa League playoff tie, Gerard Pique sees that Barcelona has what it takes to go on and win the competition.
The veteran Spanish defender took some time in his post-match press conference to note that following Barca’s promising outing on the day, the Catalan side can run the table in the Europa League with such showings.
“Playing like this, we can win the Europa League,” Pique said.
Barca controlled the pace of play in its knockout stage opener against Napoli. Overall, the La Liga powerhouse had the edge in possession and recorded 17 more total shots than the Serie A side. While it formulated multiple keen attacking sequences, the likes of Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggled to put away their high-percentage shot opportunities.
In short, Pique sees that Barca will simply need to convert on any pivotal chances it can orchestrate in the return leg of the tie.
“If we generate the same chances in the second leg, they will go in and we will go through,” Pique said.
For now, both Barca and Napoli will return to league play ahead of their second leg clash next week. Barca will meet Valencia in La Liga play, while Napoli aims to possibly move to the top spot in the Serie A standings with a win over Cagliari.
Barcelona and Napoli sure have plenty to play for this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe