Guardiola: Barca’s fantasy football comes ‘once in a lifetime’

BARCELONA’S mesmerising opening few minutes against Arsenal in the Champions League midweek was “once in a lifetime” football, coach Pep Guardiola said yesterday.

The European champions could have scored four or five times in an electrifying start to their quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. That attacking display earned praise from all quarters despite Barca only coming away with a 2-2 draw on the night.

“Eleven shots in 15 minutes as happened against Arsenal only occurs once in a lifetime,” said Guardiola as he sought to play down expectations ahead of tonight’s visit of Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. “We can’t go out expecting a repetition. We have to try and maintain the same work rate as the first half against Arsenal.