Luis Enrique impressed as FC Barcelona reach Copa del Rey quarter finals

Luis Enrique impressed as FC Barcelona reach Copa del Rey quarter finals

Manager delighted with his team's performance in winning a place in Friday's Copa del Rey quarter final draw - and can't help singling out Leo Messi for special praise

A nervy night finally over and ending very happily indeed, Luis Enrique was a very satisfied man indeed when he spoke to the press after the final whistle had blown on a 4-3 aggregate victory over Athletic Bilbao. “We were by far the better team and I’m really pleased with the way this tie has gone” he said after a quarter final berth had been secured.

Here’s a round-up of the standout post-match quotes from the Barça manager:

"I’m really happy with the way the team played. It was just like in other recent games, with the team flat out both in attack and defence."

"In games like this you can’t make mistakes. But we controlled the whole match. They scored with the only chance they had, but the team kept calm and created plenty of chances.”

"The fans were great too. They supported us when we most needed them. There was a really good attendance."

"The team were especially accurate today, we played well all game. We were by far the better team and created loads more goal chances."

"In recent games, teams have been doing very little but scoring against us. But with my players’ attitude, I’m sure we’ll put that behind us quickly. What we have to do now is string some wins together."

"We did well in every phase of the game. At the start when the opposition were fresh, in the second half when the penalty gave us some breathing space, and after their goal when things were matched again. We kept creating chances and weren’t troubled at the back."

"From what we could see from the two legs, our qualification was the fairest outcome."

"Leo Messi was as decisive as ever. I hope he stays here for many more years. There’s nobody better than him. It’s not just his goals, it’s also the way he reads the game, he always picks the right option and makes the people around him better wherever he is on the pitch."

"These two games have been very tight. But now we’re through to the quarters and whoever we play will be there on their own merit."

"I like the cup as it is, but I’d like it even more with single legs and no seeds. It would be more attractive. It would make it a touch more spectacular."

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