Luis Enrique believes Barcelona will score enough goals to win the Supercopa de Espana on Sunday night, and has the evidence to prove it.
Last season’s treble-winners produced a shambolic defensive performance to suffer a shocking 4-0 defeat at the San Mames on Friday, putting Athletic within touching distance of their first piece of silverware since they won the league, cup and Super Cup treble in 1984.
But Enrique has pointed to his team’s awesome firepower, especially at the Nou Camp, to insist that they still have a chance of landing a fifth title of the calendar year.
“We scored four goals or more in 18 games last season,” he said. “We have the potential to do it, we are fresh and when Barca play anything can happen.”
Outlining the team’s positive frame of mind, Enrique was surprisingly forthright as he added: “We are not just confident: we are super-confident.
“It is a challenge that a team of this magnitude is capable of rising to. If we do everything well, to the same level as last season, we will have a good chance.
“It would be arrogant to say that we are definitely going to do it, but we will have opportunities.”
Enrique also believes that, upon reflection, his team were harshly done by in Friday’s first leg, which saw Athletic score their first three goals following defensive errors and then add a fourth with a controversial penalty.
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“I have analysed the game and, genuinely, for me it’s not a 4-0 match,” he said. “They punished our errors and they deserved to win, but now we have to focus on turning the tie around.”
Despite the requirement of at least four goals, Enrique is conscious of the need for a balanced approach and reminded his players not to overlook defensive duties.
“We can’t allow any more mistakes like the ones we have made,” he added. “Not scoring in San Mames conditions the game a lot. If they score, we have to score six and that would be very tough.”
Catalan media and Barca fans have been fiercely debating the causes of Friday’s poor display, with a tiring UEFA Super Cup trip to Georgia three days previously a commonly cited factor.
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But Enrique said: “Those are incalculable things and I don’t assess them. I can’t control those matters so I don’t waste any energy on them. We have a motto: results yes, excuses no.”
Enrique’s opposite number Ernesto Valverde, meanwhile, is contemplating his team line-up at the start of a busy week. Athletic face a testing Europa League qualifying round trip to Slovakia to face Zilina on Thursday evening, followed by their La Liga opener, coincidentally against Barca at the San Mames on Sunday.
Valverde had initially been planning to rotate his squad through the two Super Cup games, resting several players from Friday’s team, but the prospect of winning silverware is swaying him towards naming an unchanged line-up.
Midfielders Ander Iturraspe and Mikel Rico – normally among the first names on his teamsheet – are expected to miss out. Rising star Inaki Williams could return to the squad, but an outstanding debut from Sabin Merino on Friday will probably restrict him to the bench.
