Luis Enrique: Barca must beat APOEL

Luis Enrique insists that Barcelona must beat APOEL on Tuesday to have any chance of topping their UEFA Champions League group.

The Camp Nou club currently sit a point adrift of Group F pace-setters Paris Saint-Germain, who host Barca on matchday six.

And Luis Enrique has called on his players not to get ahead of themselves, urging them to focus on the job at hand in Cyprus against an APOEL side who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture.

“It will be very similar to the home fixture at Camp Nou,” he told a media conference. “I expect a clash with little space, which always causes difficulties.

“They know their defensive duties and it makes it difficult to score goals.

“We need the points to be top of the group. APOEL is the stumbling block before we face having to win at PSG.”

Barca remain without the services of defender Thomas Vermaelen (hamstring) – yet to make his competitive debut for the Catalans – with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta confirming on Monday that the Belgian could require surgery.

Luis Enrique refused to be drawn on the subject, insisting it was a matter for Vermaelen and the club’s medical staff.

“It is an issue that concerns the doctors and the player himself,” he added. “It is a difficult subject.

“I am concerned for the player, because he is a footballer of high quality that could help a lot.”