Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola paid tribute to his captain Carles
Puyol's versatility following his side's 1-0 win over Sporting
Gijon.
Puyol filled in at right-back to cover the absence of the
injured Dani Alves and helped Barca record their fifth successive
clean sheet in the league and cup.
Guardiola said of the Spain international: "We wouldn't be
where we are this season without him. He's the player who's
performed most often and he's solving a lot of problems."
Guardiola was also pleased with his side's overall display
against Sporting, although he felt they could have done better in
front of goal.
Barca had plenty of chances to make the scoreline much more
comfortable but in the end had to settle for Pedro Rodriguez's
solitary first-half strike.
"We played well, but we didn't take the right decisions when
we should have sealed the game. However, I'm very happy with my
players' attitude and their willingness to work hard," added
Guardiola.
"We were very solid. We were facing very lively opponents
with a great home record - not many teams win here. We were very
strong in defence and they had nothing more than a couple of
long-range shots."
