Barcelona's loaned goalkeeper Peña will face his old club Barcelona in this round of La Liga. Before the game, he was interviewed and talked about the game and other topics.

Will the game against Barcelona be special for you?

Yes, to be honest, it’s super nice. After all, I have been in the first team for five or six years. Not just facing those players, but meeting the physios, the kitchen staff... well, it's strange when you've been standing with them for years and now you're facing them, but it only feels like it at the beginning because in the game you try to do your best and that's it.

Barcelona are feeling hurt after losing El Clasico and are five points behind Real Madrid. Are they more dangerous like this?

Well, it's a double-edged sword. They were in much better form this time last season, but at the end of the day, we know the quality of this team, not just on a collective level but individually. They have very decisive players and we will try to give 100%. We must stay true to ourselves, remain brave and competitive.

Do you think Barcelona has dropped a bit compared to last season?

Ultimately, no team remains 100% throughout the season. The last month of last season was more difficult for us because we didn't get points. And then we had a lot of fatigue, a lot of games... you're trying to be as consistent as possible through these ups and downs. We know Barcelona, ​​even so, they are still at the top of the table and very competitive. We will face one of the best clubs and we go into the game with this motivation.

Barcelona enters this game with many important injuries. Is this good news for Elche?

Well, the less "fire" they have, after all they are such decisive players...Obviously, certain players are a lot better when they are on the court. Then, whether it's good or bad, I can only tell you after the game. It does make a difference whether they play or not because they are one of the best players in the world and can change the game individually.

Are the styles of Elche and Barcelona similar?

Yes, it is similar at a conceptual level. Ultimately, you want to defend as little as possible and attack as much as possible. From there, you want to dominate the game and manage it. Then, there are nuances. On the offensive and defensive levels, Barcelona's defense line is higher. We are a little bit behind in that aspect, but we are more rigorous in organizing the ball. They also rely heavily on individual quality because that's a club that can afford to have top individual quality, whereas we at Elche do everything through the collective. Ultimately, if we all do well, the game will be better because we don't have the individual qualities of Yamal, Rafinha or Lewandowski. So we try to make up for that through the team, and on a team level we are all at 100% to play and bring the game to our rhythm.

Can Elche take away three points from Montjuic?

Yes, obviously, otherwise we wouldn't go. This has been proven before. Elche once scored points at Atletico Madrid's home ground. It's more difficult because you have to have inspiration on the day and your opponent doesn't have that inspiration. Then it depends on whether you score or not and whether they score. But if we do what we know, if we're bold, if we're brave, even against a team like this, we know that's the way to win. Ultimately, it would be a mistake to go and defend on the road because you know they can score from any possession. As mentioned before, one has to be brave and bold, and that’s how we got here. From there we get closer to victory.

But Elche's performance on the road is indeed more difficult. Undefeated at home but unable to score three points on the opponent's court.

Yes, this is an issue we have discussed internally with the coaching staff and players. It's definitely a bit different playing away from home, especially the way we play, which is ultimately more exposed and more dangerous. We have to get away from the (away) environment because we're 11 on 11 and playing with a ball. What we do here at home, we have to try and replicate on the road. But, um, I think it's a matter of adaptation. Many players do not accumulate enough playing time in the top league. It is a matter of time. It's clear that we'll get there eventually. We have to maintain this level at home and that will allow us to continue doing what we know when we go away.