Luis Enrique delights for Vermaelen after first Barça goal

Andy West 08:15 30/08/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Joy: Vermaelen celebrates.

    Barcelona boss Luis Enrique hailed Thomas Vermaelen after the former Arsenal defender delivered his team’s vital match-winning goal against Malaga on Saturday night.

    The Belgian centre-back was making only his fourth competitive start for the Blaugrana after an injury-ruined first season.

    He earned the acclaim of the Nou Camp faithful by looking comfortable in defence and settling a tight 1-0 encounter with his first goal for the club, leading manager Enrique to say: “I am not at all surprised by Vermaelen. When we signed him a year ago we knew that he is a player of great quality. But he isn’t at 100 per cent yet – he still needs more playing time and he will get better.”

    Enrique also had praise for another member of his makeshift back four, Sergi Roberto, who usually plays in midfield but delivered a solid performance at right-back to cover for the injured Dani Alves.

    “Intelligent players can play in any position,” added the Barca boss. “It looked like he’s played at fullback all his life. In football terms, I like everything about Sergi Roberto.”

    – Coloccini own goal helps Arsenal down spirited Newcastle
    – #360view: Al Ahli’s ambitious Moussa Sow move
    – Ian Selley: Arsenal well poised to win Premier League

    It makes a change for Barca’s post-match analysis to focus on their defenders rather than the strike force of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, but Enrique was happy to underline the fact that his team have still not conceded in La Liga so far this season.

    “It always makes me happy to keep a clean sheet,” he said. “We defended very well and played a complete game.”

    And although it took until the final 20 minutes for Barca to finally make their breakthrough against a determined Malaga defence, with visiting keeper Carlos Kameni making several good saves, Enrique claimed that he was always relaxed.

    “I never had any doubts that the goal would come,” he said. “Against defensive teams like that you have to play as a team, be efficient, avoid self-destructing and that’s what we did. Games like that invite you to become desperate, but the team didn’t lose its structure and remained perfectly positioned.

    “We were superior and we showed great patience.”

    Recommended