Vilanova: We have not won the title yet
Tito Vilanova refuses to accept that Barcelona will win La Liga this season despite his team’s lightening start to the campaign which sees them sitting 11 points clear of Real Madrid.
Barca started slowly on Sunday night before tearing Levante to pieces, eventually winning 4-0, which means the Catalans have still only dropped two points in La Liga all season and are yet to taste defeat.
Not only are Barca 11 points clear Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, they are three points clear of their closest challengers, Real’s city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Atletico have made an incredible start to their season, but realistically they are not expected to mount a serious challenge for the title as the campaign progresses, even if they do manage to keep hold of their highly sought-after striker Radamel Falcao.
But Vilanova is refusing to get carried away and has rubbished suggestions that his players have already done enough to steal the La Liga crown back from Cristiano Ronldo and co.
“We still have 75 points left to play for and Atletico Madrid are only three points behind us. We have a long way to go,” he said on the Barcelona website.
“La Liga is not over. I remind you that we have had this advantage before, yet then had to win our match at the Bernabeu.”
Barca’s two closest competitors, the Madrid rivals, go head to head in the derby on Saturday, but Vilanova wants to remain focused on what his team does, rather than the outcome of that match.
“Atletico are very solid and strong this year, having ended last season on form,” said Vilanova.
“Next weekend we have to beat Athletic Bilbao. We don’t care what happens between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. We can’t do anything about that game.”