It was an uninspiring debut for Barcelona coach Luis Enrique in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, as Gerard Pique scored the only goal of the game in a narrow Group F victoryover Cypriot club APOEL at the Camp Nou. Pique put the host into the lead in the 28th minute, heading home a Lionel Messi free-kick. However, the rest of the game was a struggle for the Spanishgiant, as APOEL soaked up pressure and launched several waves of counterattacks. In the end, Barca was happy to hold on for three points.
“What I most liked was the result, the attitude of myplayers and of the fans. We have to improve a lot, but I am very happy,” Enrique said after the game. “You also have to take into account that we were playing against 10 men behind the ball, and thatwill never be easy. We saw it was going to be a tough match from the very beginning, but my players stayed calm and were able to get the win.”
Enrique made several changes to the team thatbeat Athletic Bilbao over the weekend, insisting that he would continue to tinker with his squad to find the best lineup for each game. “I want all my players ready to compete,” he said. “I firmlybelieve that is the way to run this team.”
Meanwhile, APOEL coach Giorgos Donis was left to rue his team’s lack of efficiency in front of goal. “We could have taken betteradvantage of our chances, especially at the end,” he said. “But as I have said before, there is no justice in soccer.”