Visca Barca

Alexis Sánchez talked to the press this afternoon at the Ciutat Esportiva. A year after joining FC Barcelona, the team’s number 9 recognised that he’s yet to hit his best form. When asked to rate his performance as an Azulgrana, he didn’t hesitate to give himself a five out of 10 while adding, “the best Alexis hasn’t arrived yet.” The Chilean went on to say that “I can give a lot more of myself and I know how good of a player I am.”

Alexis’ goals for the new season

“I accept the criticism because it makes me stronger.” Alexis knows that in the world of football players can be scrutinized at any moment, but he noted that he prefers to use the scrutiny to improve his game. In order to improve, the Chilean said that “I have to let myself go a bit more and take on my marks more often.”

In addition, Alexis is aware that he’s responsible for “earning a spot in the starting line-up, I’m going to make it difficult for my team-mates - they’re going to have to work for it as well.”

Barça’s run in the Liga

The player also talked about Barça’s winning streak in the Liga and the eight-point advantage Barça have over Real Madrid - who visit the Camp Nou on October 7. The Chilean noted that while the Clásico is just around the corner, that he’s focused on the match against Sevilla: “On Saturday we have an important match. There’s a lot of Liga still yet to be played if we want to win the title.”

Finally, Alexis said that he’d bet on Leo Messi winning the Ballon d’Or this year.

FC Barcelona face the Andalusians with a number of absences in their rearguard. Without Puyol and Piqué, Tito Vilanova will need to change his defensive plans. The most likely candidates to join Mascherano as the other centre back are Bartra and Song, although Sergio Busquets has also shown in the past that he’s capable of playing in that position. But those problems aside, Barça can welcome back Jordi Alba, who is now fully recovered from a nasty attack of the flu.