Valverde talks Coutinho, Fekir and Zidane ahead of Lyon

The latest updates from the Barcelona boss

Ernesto Valverde faced the press on Tuesday to discuss Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Lyon.

The Barcelona boss spoke about Philippe Coutinho, Nabil Fekir and Lyon, as well as Zinedine Zidane’s return to Real Madrid.

Here are the best bits:

Valverde on Zinedine Zidane

He’s a great manager, he’s going to a great club. They’re going to be our rivals and I look forward to coaching against him.

Valverde on Philippe Coutinho

How we handle our team internally is a private matter, between us, There are moments when you need to talk with the player and that are times when you don’t. We hope to see the best of him, of course.

Valverde on Lyon

I do not know if they will change or not in relation to the first leg. With a 0-0 result no team qualifies and they have their weapons, especially from the attacking point of view. They have fast players and they will try to exploit that. They know the value of an away goal and we have to break their lines.

Valverde on Nabil Fekir

He could make the difference because he’s a link-up player who supplies the attack. He’s decisive for Lyon - he’s got a good shot, he can shake off defenders, he’s good in one-on-one situations… He’s the player who makes them tick and so we have to keep an eye on him.

Valverde on Champions League shocks

What we saw with PSG and Real Madrid, who were both knocked out, tells you that this competition demands maximum concentration. We’re under pressure to make the next round, as is everyone else. We’re focusing on the game we plan to play and if we can generate as many chances as we did in the first leg, I think we’ll go through.

Source: barcablaugranes.com