Barcelona Looking To Wrap Things Up Tonight

Last updated : 09 December 2016 By ed_ScottishFitba

Luis Enrique is not expecting another Champions League walkover when his Barcelona side head to Parkhead to take on Celtic tonight. Barca enjoyed a 7-0 home win in their opening Group C game against Celtic in September and are favourites to complete the double against Brendan Rodgers' side to clinch qualification with one game left to play.  Enrique straight-batted a question about Lionel Messi being linked with the group's second-placed side, Manchester City, by simply saying: "I don't know".

C:WindowsTempphp4BDE.tmpLuis Enrique (c) Nick Potts/PA Wire/PA Images

However, the former Spain international expects to see a Celtic side who battled out a 3-3 draw with the English club at Parkhead at the end of September, as opposed to the one which collapsed in Catalonia. Speaking on Tuesday, Enrique said: "It is going to be a different game completely.  We have to be ready for everything.  It is good to score early in all games but Celtic need points so they will come out but again I say it will be different, it will be nothing like the game that we had before.  The Camp Nou is not a reference, what will be a reference is the game against Manchester City."  Enrique expects Messi to recover from the illness which kept him out of Saturday's goalless draw with Malaga. He added: "Lionel is always ready to play and I am sure tomorrow he will be ready."

Meanwhile, Gerard Pique will recover from a knock he picked up at the weekend, with Luis Suarez returning from suspension. The Barca manager, speaking through an interpreter at Celtic Park before Barcelona trained, is looking for his side to enjoy what is sure to be another great European atmosphere on Wednesday night as Celtic, bottom of the group with two points, look for an unlikely win. He said: "
Players always want to play in a great atmosphere.  The atmosphere is everything, the Celtic fans travel in numbers, they are a fantastic support here and away.  Above all football is really about enjoying it.  I just ask my players to go and enjoy it and if we do we will qualify for the next round."

Rodgers, meanwhile, insists his side were improved not harmed by their 7-0 thrashing in Spain.  The Scottish Champions started their Champions League Group C campaign in September by being put to the sword by Barca's superstars as Messi scored a hat-trick, Suarez two, with Neymar and Andres Iniesta also on target after Parkhead striker Moussa Dembele had a penalty saved when Celtic were one down.  Celtic have two collected points from four game and need a win in their final two games to have a chance of European football after Christmas. Rodgers said: "
Out there, we made a very bad start to the game, going 1-0 behind, we had the opportunity to equalise, we had threats on counter attacks. Obviously we didn't get (score) the penalty and very quickly they get the second goal.  And once Barcelona - like they have shown many times against better teams than ourselves in all honesty - get that rhythm and that flow in the game, it is very hard to contain it.  So lots of learning came from that, lots of development both in terms of our team mentality and our game, came from that performance.  At the time of course, I said it was very disappointing but it hasn't harmed us, if anything, it has only improved us a group and as a squad."

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