• News

Koeman finds faults with Barcelona after Valladolid victory

Ronald Koeman - FC Barcelona
Getty Images
Advertisement

The Catalans giants showed signs of rustiness upon returning to La Liga action after the international break Monday night.

FC Barcelona moved one point behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid after a 1-0 victory against Real Valladolid.

The slender win at Camp Nou also saw the hosts extend their winning streak in the league to six matches.

It looked like Barcelona were about to lose more ground in this tight title race with the match tied at 0-0 until the final few minutes, but Ousmane Dembele struck home a left-footed volley in the 90th minute to seal all three points for his side.

“We lacked a lot in the first half,” Koeman said post-match, via Marca. “We didn’t press them very well. I saw a slow, tired Barcelona from the start.

“We didn’t control the game. So we changed the system and improved in the second half.

“It was a difficult game and we were some way off our level. Real Valladolid did a good job defensively, but you have to know how to suffer and I think we deserved to win.

“You have to have freshness in the team. I didn’t see that and maybe it’s because of the internationals, but we’re capable of winning.”

x