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Roura: Villa is a real goalscorer, he'll get back to his best
Jan 11, 2013 12:50:00 AM
The stand-in boss was very impressed by his side's display in their comfortable win over Cordoba singling out David Villa and Alexis Sanchez for special praise
| Bet: | Returns: | Recreativo £20.00 | Draw £34.00 | Cordoba £41.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Recreativo £19.10 | Draw £32.00 | Cordoba £37.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Recreativo £19.09 | Draw £32.00 | Cordoba £36.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Recreativo £19.50 | Draw £33.00 | Cordoba £40.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Recreativo £19.10 | Draw £34.00 | Cordoba £37.50 |
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Villa helped Barca stroll past Cordoba as the Catalans cruised to a 5-0 victory (7-0 on agg) to seal their passage into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey to set up a clash with Malaga.
And although Roura was impressed with the whole Barcelona side, it was Villa that caught the eye most with two stunning goals.
"If there is something worth noting about this performance it is the attitude and ambition displayed by all the players," he told Marca.
"This was a game that we may have entered with a more conservative approach given our first leg victory. However, the desire to put on a show was evident in every player.
"I take my hat off to the players. They were exceptional in the first half and played with great intensity and to a very high level. Their attitude is remarkable and this needs to be recognised.
"Villa's goals were great. He is an exceptional player and he had a great match. It has showed us what we all know, that he is an important player for us.
"He's a real goalscorer and bit by bit, he'll get back to his best level and be even more important for us.
"Alexis helps us a lot, it's admirable how hard he works. It's a good thing he could score, that's important. He had several matches where he struggled to make it count. Today, fortunately, he has put that streak behind."
Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi did not take part in the match, though, Roura did admit that his plan was to introduce him into the game but that a change of circumstances made him change his mind.
He added: "The plan was for Messi to play a few minutes, but Sergi Roberto got injured and we made another sub.
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Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
5:42 PM BST
Right, just over two hours to go until kick-off, so let's check in with our man Jay Jaffa, who says the atmosphere is already building at Wembley.
"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.
"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."
"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.
"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."
5:38 PM BST
It is this increasingly bitter rivalry between Bayern and Dortmund that almost guarantees fireworks at Wembley tonight, according to Bayern defender Dante, who spoke exclusively with Goal earlier this week.
5:34 PM BST
The aforementioned Gotze deal, and the way in which it was leaked to the press on the eve of Dortmund’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg clash with Madrid, has only intensified the antipathy between the two clubs, while, as you can see from the photo below, the man at the centre of the transfer has inevitably been caught in the crossfire. This is all nothing new, of course. Bayern may have loaned a cash-strapped Dortmund money a decade ago but the pair have been locked in a vicious – but entertaining – war of words in the wake of die Schwarzgelben’s subsequent re-emergence as a major force, and Daniel Buse and Enis Koylu have catalogued the best quotes here.
5:23 PM BST
Right, still plenty of time to go until kick-off, so why not get involved in our Champions League quiz on Twitter? Here's one to start you off:
After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?
After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?
5:18 PM BST
Bayern, as already alluded to, are desperate to atone for defeat against Chelsea 12 months ago and one man who knows all about the agony and ecstasy of Champions League finals is former die Roten defender Samuel Kuffour. The Ghanaian beating the ground in fury after seeing his side concede twice in injury time at the end of the 1999 tournament decider against Manchester United remains one of the most memorable images in the competition’s history, so check out our exclusive interview with Kuffour, who would achieve redemption just two years later when Bayern edged out Valencia on penalties.
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