Hibs to face Barca new boys
by Alex Livie, 24 July 2008
Familiar faces will be on show as Hibernian’s pre-season cranks up a gear with a prestigious friendly against Barcelona – live on Setanta Sports.
| Hibs' clash with Barca is live on Setanta Sports and Setanta By Boradband. Click here for details on how to subscribe. |
Barca have made Scotland their summer destination for the last couple of years and the capital city will have the chance to check out the form of Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi as well as new signing Alexander Hleb.
New Barca boss Josep Guardiola may well field all five of his summer signings - Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Martin Caceres, Seydou Keita and Hleb - at Murrayfield.
If ever there is a good time to face Barca, it is surely their first game of pre-season and Hibs will be keen to build some confidence following their European woes.
Mixu Paatelainen's men were dumped out of the Intertoto Cup by Elfsborg and a meeting with Barca will hand them the chance to bounce back.
Hibs midfielder Brian Kerr is looking forward to the test, as he told the club’s official website: “They don’t come any bigger than Barcelona.
”I don’t think you could ever get sick of watching guys like Henry and Messi and any chance you get to see them should be taken if possible.
“From our point of view if we play well in the game then it would do wonders for our own confidence going into the new season.
“If you do well against some of the best players in the world then you would go into The SPL knowing we should do well against so-called lesser players.”