Willy Caballero
“We’re up against a big rival, and we’re all now focusing on how they perform in League matches. Porto have got a lot of history in this competition and in Europe, and I’m pleased that we’re facing them in the last 16. However we now need to focus all our attention on Madrid and this weekend’s match.”
“I played alongside Lucho González in Argentina’s under-20’s. He played well in the first round in a tough group.”
“I don’t think either team is the favourite to be honest. We need to play in the same style as we did in the first round, and put on a very intense and determined performance. We played very well in the first round and need to maintain our undefeated streak in this competition. The most important thing is that we perform our best football and hope to qualify.”
“They’ve got a lot more experience than us, and all we can do is play the best football we can. We’ve got players here in our team who have experience in this competition, having participated with other teams in the Champions League, which is crucial in order for us to keep improving and growing as a Club.”
“I don’t want to disregard any rival in this competition. We need to focus solely on our performance to continue on in the Champions League.”
“I really enjoy every competition that we’re involved in. This really is the best moment in my career and I’m loving every minute of it.”
“I hope everything goes well for Tito Vilanova, and that he returns as soon as possible, healthy, and doing what he loves best.”
“We’re making history now. We had the chance to qualify for the Champions League, and we did it. We then got through to the knockout stage. We want to continue performing as well as we can in this competition and keep making history for Málaga CF.”
“Madrid have got some fantastic players and will be a very difficult team to beat. If we want to keep on making history, then we could be the team who defeats them. We’re playing at home, and I think we’re in with a good chance if we continue to play as well as we have done in recent games.”
Saviola
“We all know how they play and the particular style they have on the pitch. Even though they’re not having their best moment, they’re still Real Madrid. Because of the big players, the history and the way in which they play football, they’ll be such a touch team to beat. One move could define the entire match.”
“Porto will be a difficult rival. I came up against them over the last three years with Benfica, and know how tough they can be. They play very well at home, and always play a very physical game, with a particular rhythm and intensity. Porto will give us a hard time I’m sure, and make things as hard as possible for us.”
“With regards to individual players, there have been some very important players over the past few years that performed very well in the Portuguese league as well as European competition, including Falcao, Lucho and González. There are different players now who maintain the same rhythm and high-level of play, and who are going to be difficult rivals.”
“I’ve got a great relationship with Lucho González as we were in the national team together for quite a while. It’ll be a close match I think, and we’ll play as well as we can. After the match I’ll catch up with my old team mates who I used to be with all the time. May the best team win!”
“I don’t think distance is important. We’ll be focused on our opponent and attempt to play the best style of football in order to win the match. We’ve reached the final 16 of the Champions League and any team we come up against will be difficult to overcome.”
“Real Madrid will always have a strong determination to go out and win any match, regardless of the rival. They need the points to maintain their goal of winning the League title, so they’ll come here and play as well as they can in order to win. We’re facing Madrid, and it’ll be tough.”
“I hope I get to play, I’d absolutely love to! I’d like to make sure I’m ready to support the team as much as I can in this match. It’s up to the coach though, and he knows the right team to select for this game. From a personal point of view, I hope I’m part of the line-up.”
“The news about Tito Vilanova came as a surprise. We’re all thinking about him, as he’s very much loved in the world of football. I hope he gets through this difficult time soon, and I send my best wishes to him and his family.”
Joaquín
“We were all excited to see who our next Champions rival would be so we’re pleased we know now! We’re in the last 16, so it’s going to be a hard match whoever the rival is. Amongst the possible opponents we could have faced, I think Porto is one of the toughest, but we’re really looking forward to it.”
“They play very good, top quality football and tend to focus on a vertical style of play. We respect all of our rivals, but as soon as the match kicks off, we’re focused on ball possession and working hard on the pitch.”
“We’re all very much looking forward to Saturday’s match against Real Madrid, and it’s been a while since we’ve beaten them. Last year the euphoria and excitement surrounding the game took its toll, but we’ve got another chance now and hope we can win this game just before Christmas!”
“Our sole objective now is to defeat Real Madrid, as we’d then have 31 points and maintain our place in the top part of the table. Although they’re not having a lot of luck at the moment, they’re still Real Madrid and can cause a lot of trouble if we don’t play our best football.”
“Now we know who our Champions rival is, we can put that aside for the time being. Our focus now is Real Madrid, which will need every ounce of our attention.”
“To play in a match against a team like Real Madrid, to be able to support the team, particularly in front of our home crowd, is amazing just before the Christmas holidays. We’ll keep our feet firmly on the ground and concentrate on playing well.”
“We’re all thinking about Tito Vilanova and hope he recovers as soon as possible and returns to FC Barcelona. That’s what we’re wishing for this Christmas.”
Duda
“To tell you the truth, Porto was one of the teams we were hoping to avoid. However looking at our performance in the Champions League so far, they didn’t want to face us either! We’re playing away first, which is better for us.”
“We didn’t really have any preference as to our choice of opponent, and it’s a 50/50 chance as to who gets through to the next round.”
“Porto are a big team in Europe and have some quality players. They’ll need to perform well to beat us I think, and I wouldn’t have thought they’re particularly happy they were selected as our rival.”
“We’ll be working as hard as we can to keep the three points at home on Saturday’s match against Real Madrid, and start our holidays with a win!”
