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Alfred Schreuder: 'Barcelona are only focused on themselves'

Alfred Schreuder: 'Barcelona are only focused on themselves'
© Reuters
Barcelona and Real Madrid are on 74 points with four games left to play.

Barcelona will not be distracted by other teams as the LaLiga title race goes down to the wire, the club's assistant Alfred Schreuder said.

Ronald Koeman's deputy was speaking after seeing his side come from behind to defeat lowly Valencia 3-2 with Lionel Messi's double helping the side keep pace with Real Madrid.

The rivals are on 74 points with four games left to play, while Atletico Madrid have a two-point lead and next face Barcelona.

Schreuder was quoted in Marca saying: "It will be very close, that's also what we hoped in January.

"We are there. We don't have to look at other teams. We look at ourselves.

"Sometimes we lose points, sometimes Atletico, sometimes Real, Sevilla ... It won't be the final game next week. We still have four games to go.

"Everybody at Barcelona trusts our players (to win the title). We trust our players. That's what they showed today again."

After a goal-less first half, Valencia drew first blood on 50 minutes when Gabriel Paulista nodded home from a corner and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's appeals that he was impeded were waved away.

Lionel Messi saw a penalty saved on 57 minutes but scored from close range amid a scramble after the home side failed to remove the danger, and Antoine Griezmann put the visitors up 2-1.

Messi found the net again through a free kick on 69 minutes, and Carlos Soler's superb late strike set up a tense finale, but Valencia could not find an equaliser and Barcelona kept the pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid.

Koeman, who was sent off during a mid-week defeat to Granada, began a two-match touchline ban at the Mestalla, made four changes to his team.

Ronald Araujo and Clement Lenglet replaced Oscar Mingueza and Samuel Umtiti in defence, while Sergino Dest and 18-year-old Pedri were recalled in midfield at the expense of Sergi Roberto and Ilaix Moriba.

Schreuder, speaking about the game against Atletico, said: "It's an important game. But we also have other teams (Real Madrid and Sevilla) who play the day after for the same position as us.

"We look at game to game. Of course, we know that it's a very important game (against) Atletico."

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Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring against Getafe in La Liga on April 22, 2021
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CReal Madrid34276174225287
2GironaGirona34235673423174
3Barcelona34227570432773
4Atletico MadridAtletico34214963392467
5Athletic Bilbao341710755332261
6Real Sociedad341412848351354
7Real BetisBetis34131384339452
8Valencia34138133739-247
9Villarreal34129135658-245
10Getafe341013114147-643
11AlavesAlaves34118153238-641
12Sevilla341011134546-141
13Osasuna34116173751-1439
14Las PalmasLas Palmas34107173043-1337
15Celta Vigo34810164052-1234
16Rayo Vallecano34713142743-1634
17Mallorca34614142740-1332
18CadizCadiz34414162349-2626
19Granada3449213664-2821
RAlmeria34211213367-3417


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