Exclusive: How Barcelona's Juve planning began on bus after Malaga shambles
Mascherano, Messi and Luis Suarez discussed tactics while on the coach
Neymar was sitting apart from his team-mates in the trident, still stinging from his red card
The defeat in Malaga was one of those that hurt. The players headed to the coach after the game with long faces, conscious that they had lost a huge opportunity in La Liga, but at the same time full of rage and wanting to react as quickly as possible.
The team were already thinking about the Champions League knock-out clash with Juventus and the players were anxious to offer a very different level of performance in Turin.
Three of the team’s heavyweights, Javier Mascherano, Leo Messi and Luis Suarez, sat together on the bus and shared a small table, eating food that had been prepared for them after the game.
The Jefecito was the most expressive of the three, gesticulating and using bottles of water to recreate tactical situations. Luis Suarez joined in, while Messi was more restrained although he commented on it.
They had pain on their faces, but there was no silence like after other defeats. It is not the time for lamentations, but to keep heads high and look for solutions.
The trio’s attitude showed the players are determined to be back at their best against Juve. The serious tone continued with Iniesta and Busquets. They are both conscious that the team must demonstrate their superiority in the Champions and avoid a bad result that they will need to turn around at Camp Nou.
Some of the team’s other cracks were not with the trident on this occasion, like Neymar Jr. His red card left him upset after the game and he headed on to the coach at top speed. He was not in the mood for chatting or joking. He was sung and Juventus may end up paying the price for it.
The team’s response to the defeat indicates they will head out at Juventus Stadium at full capacity.
