Madrid, May 13 (IANS) FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez called for mental toughness and a rapid pitch as his side go for the win which would make them BBVA Primera Liga Champions on Saturday.
A win to Granada, who have nothing to play for other than pride, would mean Real Madrid cannot overtake Barca no matter what happens in their game away to Deportivo la Coruna, reports Xinhua.
This stage of the season always sees rumours of possible incentives paid to clubs by third parties and rumors of men with briefcases filled with cash take up the pages of the Spanish sporting press.
Suarez said he preferred to believe in the honour of Barca’s rivals.
“I don’t believe in those briefcases, just in the pride of the Granada players who will want to win. Everyone will try to fend their team for honor, not for money,” he commented.
The Uruguayan said his side was “obliged to win in Granada”, but with memories of the 2013-14 season which saw Barca lose the league on the last day of the season, he advised that he and his companions had to be “mentally strong and realize that it all depends on what we do. We will have 93 or 94 minutes to win a game and we have to be able to do that, although we are going to suffer,” he commented.
Fortunately for Barca, the striker has been in fine form recently, scoring 11 goals in the last four matches, although he commented that the goals would only be worthwhile if “we win the league.”
Pitches in the south of Spain tend to be drier than in other areas of the country and a dry pitch coupled with long grass would be a handicap for Barca as it slows the ball down and makes it harder for them to play their slick passing game, although Suarez said it was not an excuse.
“The grass is a minimum excuse,” said Suarez, although he admitted he would prefer if Granada didn’t leave it long and dry.”