Iniesta: "Whoever we get in the semifinals it will be really tough"

Andres Iniesta, happy to have qualified for the semifinals of the Champions League, has no doubt that, whether Benfica or Chelsea are Barça’s rivals, to get to the Final will not be easy.

Referring to Messi, Iniesta said that "at the age he is, he’ll shatter all the records".



In the 53rd minute, Iniesta scored the third Barça goal to make it 3-1, the goal that calmed the team down to achieve their goal of qualifying for the semifinals of the Champions League. With the ticket for the semis in the bag, Iniesta, in an interview on the Barça TV program ‘El Marcador’, pointed out how hard it will be to get to the Champions League Final, whether it be Benfica or Chelsea in the semifinal. "Whoever we get in the semifinals it will be really tough," he warned.

This Tuesday was the fifth consecutive time that Barça have reached the semifinals of the Champions League. "It’s the result of a job well done year after year and this is the only way you can put it. This team has ambition and results come with that"said Iniesta, for whom the squad is now "in very good shape", something they have to maintain.

Iniesta was pleased with his goal, and especially to "have helped the team" with it. At the same time, he’s very demanding with himself and with his performance in front of goal: "I feel that I’ve had chances and maybe should have scored more goals than I have. It’s a question of ambition, because I aim to help out in every game and become a more complete player. It's a challenge I set every year and I try to score more goals. There are times that, from off the pitch, it seems like a very clear goal chance, but on the pitch you choose to pass. But this factor shouldn’t condition my game although it might improve it, not just for myself but also for the team".

He dedicated his goal in the Milan match, as he’s done on other occasions, to his daughter Valeria. His celebration on Tuesday, however, was somewhat different, since it coincided with his little ones first birthday: "Like it or not it’s a small or great motivation for each player, and I’m really glad I could dedicate the goal to her".
Once again, Messi was decisive, this time with the two penalties he scored. Iniesta praised his teammate and, in turn, points to the importance of teamwork: "At Leo’s age, he’ll shatter all the records. For our part, we’ll just try to keep that going as long as we can. When the team works as a whole, everyone is able to give the best of themselves".

Iniesta is among the ten players with most matches played in FC Barcelona shirt: "It’s an honor and a privilege to join this list that’s so hard to achieve. It’s very difficult to reach these numbers and even more so for this club. We hope these stats continue to grow".

Now for Zaragoza

Now, with classification in the bag, it’s time to focus back on the League, starting with this Saturday's game at Zaragoza. "First up now, is Zaragoza. We’ll go there and try to play well and bring home all three points, and hope to be able to close the gap with Real Madrid". (via FCBarcelona.com)