Gordon calls the Barça title race ‘good pressure’

“Competing for every trophy is good pressure,” Gordon said. Aged 25, he spoke ahead of the fixture about the visit of his compatriots.

Gordon expects a demanding contest. “They’re a great team. Their start to the season has had mixed results. They have one of the best coaches in the world. It will be a difficult match. They’re always in the game, and it will be a challenge. I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

The winger also discussed the two defeats against PSG and Real Madrid, saying his team had to learn from them. “I don’t think they’re better. We have to take responsibility for those two defeats. They’re fantastic teams, but, for example, we couldn’t rest against PSG. That gave them an advantage. Against Madrid, we wanted to win and I think we were better, with better chances, but we were a little short of our best level. We’ve learned for next time,” he said.

His adaptation to Barça, which he rated “seven, seven and a half,” was another subject of the conversation. Gordon praised the welcome he had received from teammates and supporters. “It’s a new country and a big change for me. I’ve started well, but I can do a lot more. I hope you’ll see my best version in time,” he said, expressing confidence that he could improve as the matches go on.

The change in perspective matters to the winger, who described his time at Newcastle: “I was fighting relegation for two years, and then for the Champions League with Newcastle. Competing for every trophy brings pressure, but good pressure. It’s better to compete for trophies than to fight relegation.”

Gordon added that he wants to compete with himself first and contribute to the team, whether he plays 90 minutes or five. He wants to score, assist or change a match, and acknowledged that he could sometimes keep the ball more, try to score more and make better decisions.