21 May 2016
Sevilla can make us suffer - Iniesta

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    Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta says they could be made to "suffer" by Sevilla in Sunday's Copa del Rey final.

    Iniesta is aiming to lead his team to their second domestic double in a row, having won La Liga last Saturday.

    Sevilla, though, can also complete a double, having beaten Liverpool in Wednesday's Europa League final.

    "We have to play a complete game against an opponent that will make us suffer in key moments of the match," Spain midfielder Iniesta said.

    The 32-year-old has played down a controversy over pro-Catalan independence flags appearing at the final.

    A government decision, on security grounds, to ban Barcelona fans from bringing the Estelada flags to Madrid's Vicente Calderon Stadium was overturned by a judge this week.

    Iniesta said: "I just want the people to go and have a good time. Winning the cup could make everyone happy, regardless of what you think of a flag.

    "The club have given their opinion, I will keep mine to myself because what I say could be misinterpreted."

    Manager Luis Enrique has taken a 24-man squad to Madrid, with forward Sandro passed fit after a recent hamstring injury, and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo over a calf problem.

    Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona's goalkeeper in cup competitions this season, is still expected to start ahead of Bravo as Barcelona seek to retain the trophy they won by defeating Athletic Bilbao last season.

    Sevilla came from a goal down to beat Liverpool 3-1 in Basel in midweek, winning the Europa League for a record third successive season.

    Unai Emery's side finished seventh in Spain, but did beat Barcelona 2-1 in La Liga on 3 October, and the manager says his side have belief that they can win again.

    "We have won one trophy, so we believe that we can go on and win another," Emery said.

    "It won't be easy though, Barcelona are a top team.

    "They are a team that asks a lot of questions, and we want to give them the answers by being better than them."

    Sunday's match will be the fourth meeting of the sides this season. Barcelona won 5-4 in the Uefa Super Cup in Tbilisi in August and, after losing at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in October, beat Sevilla 2-1 in La Liga at the Nou Camp in February.