Javi Gracia hopes Malaga can stun Barcelona again

Javi Gracia hopes Malaga can stun Barcelona again

Malaga boss Javi Gracia says his players will go in search of a positive result against Barcelona on Saturday, but said that his team will have "to give their best version" against a side "that demands the best from you." 

"We know that it's a game which will demand the best from us if we want to have a chance, but you have to work hard and prepare well in proportion to the difficulty of the rival. If not, there will be no chance," he said in a press conference on Friday. 

Gracia's side got off to a goalless start against Sevilla last weekend and they enjoyed plenty of success against Barcelona last season. They were the only side in La Liga not to lose to Barça, drawing 0-0 at home and winning 1-0 at home. 

"They were two good games in which the rival did not create too much danger," Gracia remembered. "But they demanded the maximum work from us throughout the whole game. We had to defend for the majority of the game because possession is indisputable for them.

"That's passed now, though. It's not good to look back so much. We have to look for the future and think about what will happen at Camp Nou, which is a difficult ground to go to, but we're excited for the challenge."