“If we ease up, we’ll pay the price.”
Inigo Martinez has cautioned his Barcelona teammates that they cannot afford to ease off against the French club Brest in Tuesday’s Champions League encounter.
Barcelona approach the fixture following a frustrating stalemate with Celta in their previous outing. Martinez admitted he struggled to accept the result and encouraged his squad not to underestimate Brest.
“I found it difficult to come to terms with what occurred in Vigo. It was a match we had largely under control, so to speak, but we let two crucial points slip away. It’s understandable that the coach and the players were upset—these are the realities of football. You can’t point fingers at anyone specifically, but we squandered a chance,” he explained to journalists.
“It’s going to be a contest against a rival that is physically very robust and performing impressively in the Champions League, despite being mid-table in Ligue 1. If we ease up, the consequences could be significant. It’s an exciting match to be a part of, albeit challenging, but we hope the squad competes at its best level.
“Brest is excelling this season—they haven’t lost a single game without reason. They are physically resilient and execute counterattacks exceptionally well.”
Brest currently occupies fourth in the Champions League group and remains unbeaten in the competition so far. However, they prepared for the Barcelona clash by suffering a 3-2 defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1.
