Camp Nou, Barcelona
Tuesday 4 November 2008 – 20.45CET
Group C – Matchday 4

After the Blaugrana’s comprehensive 5-0 win in Switzerland a fortnight ago, few are betting against a repeat when FC Barcelona meet FC Basel 1893 at Camp Nou on Matchday 4. Complacency, though, is very much the buzz word for Josep Guardiola.
Complacency
Barcelona raced into a 3-0 lead inside 22 minutes at St. Jakob-Park on 22 October, leaving no way back for the hosts. Yet coach Guardiola believes the quick-fire start paints a false picture of Basel’s qualities, and the huge praise that is being lavished on his in-form team clearly sits uneasily with him. “The danger is that so many people seem to believe we’ve won it already,” warned the former Barça captain, whose side beat Málaga CF 4-1 on Saturday, an eleventh successive victory. “Even I have praised the team, because their attitude, work and performances have all been pleasing. But it must not go to their heads.
Brilliant form
“It wouldn’t be the first time in my Barcelona career that, just as people take victory for granted, the team lose to everyone’s great surprise. You have to work hard to reach the level we have achieved, but it can disappear in an instant.” Guardiola’s caution contrasts with what he has seen during an undefeated run that stretches back to August, with his side’s last six wins yielding 22 goals, with only two conceded. His mantra is that, if a squad like Barça’s possess such quality, work with gusto and maintain a good attitude, then they can be next to unbeatable.
Total concentration
Having dealt Basel their heaviest loss in UEFA club competition, Guardiola knows another success will send the Spanish Liga leaders into the last 16 provided FC Shakhtar Donetsk fail to beat Sporting Clube de Portugal. “We are doing well, I’m happy, but you can’t win the Champions League or the Spanish title by November,” said the 37-year-old, who spent Monday in Pamplona with his squad, attending the funeral of the father of goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué. “I want total concentration and the same attitude, game after game after game.”
‘Pure pressure’
With Eric Abidal ruled out with a knee injury, Guardiola is likely to play Martín Cáceres at left-back, while his Basel counterpart Christian Gross faces only one selection headache as defender David Abraham is struggling to shake off a stomach upset. Otherwise the Swiss titleholders are at full strength, which given the opposition, is perhaps a good thing – not that Gross sounds too doom-laden. “I understand how Barça are feeling because they are like Basel are in Switzerland,” joked the coach. “Like us, they are under pressure to win every game, score lots of goals, and always win trophies. It’s pure pressure.”
Gross hope
Basel have had an invaluable four-day break since Thursday’s 3-0 victory over FC Sion, though Gross reckons the Super League pacesetters need more than fresh legs in Spain. “We knew before the first match how strong Barcelona have become,” he said. “They are more of a unit than last season and they are obviously enjoying their football. But if we don’t concede early goals and are clever in possession, we can do something magnificent at Camp Nou.”
Iniesta’s appetite for Barcelona success
Although you never win matches or trophies in the press conference room it remains one of the most important and difficult things in football for players or coaches to self-analyse in public.
Spectacular form
Football, particularly at the top level where FC Barcelona play, remains a conservative sport where blame, recrimination and corrective remedies are often kept rigorously secret within the dressing room or on the training pitch. Add to that the fact that Andrés Iniesta is a tremendously discrete, even shy young man and it becomes all the more interesting that he chose the eve of Matchday 4, when Barça play their return fixture against FC Basel 1893 knowing a fourth Group C win could take them through, to put their spectacular domestic and European form in context.
Revival
Barça’s last six matches, including the 5-0 success at Basel, have produced 22 goals and Josep Guardiola’s side are on a run of eleven straight victories in all competitions. But Iniesta admits that he and his team-mates are not solely driven by a desire to impress their new coach or to win trophies. Matters had, apparently, reached such a low ebb over the last couple of years that the only way was up.
New hunger
“We were so bad last season that it was nearly impossible for things to continue like that,” Iniesta said. “There has been a total change of mentality at this club and Pep Guardiola has added to that by making many specific tactical alterations and changes to training. Things were not good. How we are playing now is simply the fruit of very good and very hard work every day. Plus we are totally driven by having won nothing in the last two seasons, that gives you a real hunger.”
Record target
While Iniesta is a disciple of Guardiola’s doctrine of one game at a time, the truth is that there is huge anticipation around Camp Nou at the prospect of equalling Barça’s all-time record of 18 consecutive victories set under Frank Rijkaard between October 2005 and January 2006 in a season that ended with Spanish and European titles. The Spain midfielder believes it is vital to treat Basel with caution, try not be distracted by the false goal of superseding the Rijkaard record and keep on racking up wins for their own merit.
Basel threat
“Runs like this are wonderful when you play so well, get the points, score lots of goals and receive praise for the style of football,” Iniesta admitted. “But we know that whatever happens this run won’t last all season, it cannot. So what we intend to do is to extend it for as long as possible and simply take advantage of the fact that we are on superb form right now. I view the visit of Basel to be a threat. No one should view them as an easy win and none of us want to slip up by underestimating them.