Guardiola concedes La Liga title fight
Posted Tuesday, February 28, 2012 by ESPN
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola admitted the La Liga title is all but lost, though he has promised the team will fight till the end.
After watching Barcelona carve out a strenuous away victory against Atletico Madrid, Guardiola applauded his team's character and believed that his players reacted well by keeping their style of play despite conceding an equalizer.
"We have passed a difficult test against a very tough opponent." the manager said to fcbarcelona.com
The Spaniard reserved special praise for playmaker Lionel Messi, commending his grace under pressure. The Argentinean scored the winner for the Los Cules via an amazing free kick nine minutes from the final whistle.
"There are different types of leadership. When things get complicated, Messi takes a step forward. Throughout these past four years, this player has always done that." Guardiola said.
Despite this win keeping the pressure on first-placed rivals Real Madrid, the Barcelona coach acknowledged the ten-point gap between the two sides at this stage of the competition could mean the La Liga trophy is now beyond their reach. However, Guardiola has ensured the Barcelona faithful that his side will continue to fight until the campaign is over.
"I have the impression that we will not win La Liga, the point difference is very big, these games give us the opportunity to be the team we are, to play like we have." he revealed.
"I don’t think we will win the league, but we’ll compete to [be the team] that we have been in the past. We will continue competing in every match."
Barcelona will host Sporting Gijon at the Camp Nou in their next league fixture this Saturday.
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