The FC Barcelona manager praised his men for the good result but he cautioned that the tie is still wide open: “Córdoba can score two goals at the Camp Nou”
“The players knew that, at the very least, they had to work just as hard as the Córdoba players,” said the manager
“I was sure that it would be a difficult match. Córdoba showed us that, particularly in the first half,” said Tito Vilanova after the game. The Blaugrana manager believes that qualification to the quarter-finals is still very much up for grabs for either side: “The 0-2 is a good result but we still have to play 90 minutes and they can score two goals at the Camp Nou.”
The FC Barcelona manager highlighted the effort his players put in against the Andalusian team: “They knew, at the very least, that they had to work just as hard as the Córdoba players, and that’s what they did. It was a great match because both teams wanted to attack and because atmosphere was fantastic.”
Praise for Villa, Thiago and Messi
The Catalan went on to heap praise on some of his players. The first was David Villa. “I’m very pleased with the work he’s done. He provided the assist for Messi and he gave us a lot of options up top. He played with a lot of rhythm and he reminded me of the footballer he was before his injury. I subbed him off because I believed that Tello’s pace would help us score a third goal,” said the manager.
On Thiago: “He played at a high level. He’s a player that progressed a lot last year and every time he plays he’s a more complete midfielder.” Lastly, on Messi, the manager admitted that “I believe he’s so happy after the injury scare against Benfica and now he’s very motivated.”
Unhappy with the Copa del Rey ball
Vilanova’s only complaint was about the ball used in this edition of the Copa del Rey: “The balls used in the Liga and in the Champions League are good but the one we use in the Cup isn’t good. It seems like a beach ball.”