Barcelona coach Guardiola optimistic over title run in

MADRID, April 15 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on Thursday he was optimistic his side had the physical and mental strength to get them through the run in to the end of the season.

However, he added that this Saturday's game away to city rivals Espanyol would be one of the toughest they would have all year.

Guardiola spoke following his side's 3-0 home win against Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday night. The win, which came thanks to goals from Bojan, Pedro and Toure Yaya, follows hot on the heels of the triumph in the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid and keeps Barcelona top of the table with just six games remaining this season.

"I don't see any tiredness, I just see the will to win," said Guardiola on the club website on Thursday morning. "We are getting to the end of the season in better shape than last year (when Barca won a domestic and European treble) and that is a good sign."

"The team has great mental strength and its clear that the World Cup this summer is not going to affect the players."

"There is not long left this season and the desire to win will take you where you need to go. The tone and the intensity of the team makes me feel very optimistic," he added, before looking ahead to the weekend' s city derby against Espanyol.

It needed a controversial penalty to give Barca a 1-0 win over Espanyol in the Camp Nou earlier this season and Guardiola expects the first ever derby to be played in Espanyol's Cornela-El Prat stadium to be just as tough.

"It is going to be a real final, a key game for the rest of the season and it is going to be tremendously hard," he said.