Dynamo coach Lucescu says Barca will step up defence without Messi
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT
VIDEO SHOWS: DYNAMO SQUAD DURING TEAM TRAINING SESSION / SOUNDBITES FROM DYNAMO COACH MIRCEA LUCESCU
SHOWS:
KYIV REGION, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 23, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF DYNAMO SQUAD RUNNING ACROSS TRAINING PITCH
2. DYNAMO COACH, MIRCEA LUCESCU, WALKING ON PITCH
3. VARIOUS OF SQUAD JOGGING
4. VARIOUS OF SQUAD EXERCISING
5. TEAM MATES TALKING
6. SQUAD TRAINING
7. LUCESCU WATCHING
8. VARIOUS OF SQUAD TRAINING
9. NEWS CONFERENCE WITH DYNAMO COACH, MIRCEA LUCESCU
10. (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) DYNAMO COACH, MIRCEA LUCESCU, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION):
"Of course, we want to win tomorrow. Tomorrow's game is a game of the two teams, where each team has its own philosophy, resources, and game vision. And victory is certainly very important for us."
11. CAMERAMEN
12. (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) DYNAMO COACH, MIRCEA LUCESCU, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION):
"Barcelona is what it is. It is clear that Messi on a pitch gives advantages in terms of attacking. But at the same time, an absence of Messi means that Barcelona will play more efficiently in their defence. Players don't get into Barcelona by accident, big money is paid to buy them. And it means they are high-level players. Also, there are players who are 21-22 years old on the list. They have experience and qualification."
13. REPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE
14. LUCESCU LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
STORY: As Dynamo Kyiv prepare to host Barcelona in their Champions League match on Tuesday (November 24), coach Mircea Lucescu on Monday (November 23) said he expects the group leaders to step up their defence as they rest star forward Lionel Messi.
Barca lost Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto to serious injuries in Saturday's (November 21) 1-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid in La Liga, leaving them with only three defenders in the first team squad for the trip to Ukraine.
In addition to Messi, midfielder Frenkie de Jong will also rest and will not be making the trip to Kyiv.
Despite the diminished lineup, Lucescu said Barcelona remain a force to be reckoned with saying the, "absence of Messi means that Barcelona will play more efficiently in their defence."
Dynamo are third in the group at just one point while Barca are three for three and lead Group G with nine points and are just a win away from clinching a spot in the last 16.
(Production: Sergiy Karazy, Margaryta Chornokondratenko, Kurt Michael Hall)
