Villa a key player, says Guardiola

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has labeled David Villa ‘indispensable’ after his efforts in the club’s 1-0 Copa del Rey win over Hospitalet.

The Spain international has been struggling to find his best form in the 2011-12 campaign, having scored three goals in 11 La Liga appearances so far.

Nevertheless, Guardiola was impressed with Villa’s display on Wednesday night and insisted he still has absolute faith in the 29-year-old.

“He [Villa] gives us a lot. For me, David is indispensable. I liked how he played tonight [Wednesday] even more than how he has in the past,” Guardiola said.

The Barca boss heaped praise on the Segunda Division B team, who took it up to their more fancied opposition.

“I want to congratulate L’Hospitalet on the good team they are and for the level of ability they showed us tonight. They played a good game, they opened up and were willing to play,” he said.

“They have a lot of heart, and their keeper was simply fantastic. We struggled a little bit in our attempts to break their defensive system down.”

The second leg of their Copa del Rey encounter takes place on December 21 at Camp Nou.