Sylvinho: Wins Over Direct Rivals Boosted Barcelona’s Morale

Barça’s back-up defender Sylvinho has acknowledged that the team’s superlative victories over their direct title rivals have given them a huge boost.

02-Jan-2009 6:45:43 AM

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Luiz Adriano, Sylvinho, Barcelona-Shakhtar Donetsk (Marca)

Many had expected Barcelona’s title charge to stutter slightly in the month of December when they had to face their four direct championship rivals in successive weeks.

But not only did the Blaugrana come through unscathed, but they steamrolled past their fellow contenders, Sevilla, Valencia, Real Madrid and Villarreal, scoring a total of eleven goals past them and conceding only one.

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And culés leftback, Sylvinho, believes that the sensational streak has given the team a massive advantage over their rivals.

“The results in December have improved our self-esteem,” he was quoted as saying by Marca.

“Now we have a comfortable cushion of points, but in the second half of the season, there will be a lot of anxiety as we have to face the same opponents again, but the circumstances will be different because their league position and objectives would have changed,” he cautioned.

Like many within the Camp Nou confines, the 34-year-old Brazilian rejected the idea that the La Liga crown is already in the bag.

“At Barça, no one is thinking about the day when we lift the title. The players and the fans are much more humble than that.

“But what is certain is that having overcome the four big games, the morale in the team is very good,” he concluded.

Barcelona will kick-off 2009 with home game against Mallorca on Saturday.

KS Leong, Goal.com

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