Defensive errors costing Barcelona
Print Edition
BARCELONA’S biggest fear when Lionel Messi suffered a groin strain last month was how the team would cope in attack without the talismanic forward.
But while scoring goals has not been a problem for the La Liga champion which has found the net 11 times in the three games Messi has missed, defending certainly is an issue.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s poor display at Celta Vigo was largely responsible for Barcelona’s 3-4 loss.
“If I hadn’t made the mistake, we could have won this game,” Ter Stegen told reporters. “I’m sorry for the team, who fought really hard.”
With his side trailing, 2-3, Ter Stegen received a back pass from Jordi Alba and waited before attempting to kick the ball back to his teammate. Pablo Hernandez of Celta was just two meters away, though, and raised his right leg to block the pass, the ball deflecting into the goal to gift Celta a 4-2 lead.
“For me, it was the pass which seemed the right one,” Ter Stegen said. “It shouldn’t happen. It’s worse for the team; I think we lost because of it.
“It’s an error. I can’t think all the time about what’s happened. I have to continue, keep my head up. We continue on the same path, and so do I.”
As the Barca players go into the international break, though, they will have to digest a poor defensive effort overall.
Celta scored the opener after it intercepted an errant Ter Stegen pass intended for Sergio Busquets and Pino Sisto finished from close range.
Jeremy Mathieu’s own goal then gave Celta a 3-1 lead.
Barcelona is fourth in the standings, two points adrift of Atletico Madrid, which is level on points with Real Madrid but ahead on goal difference.
Luis Enrique’s side plays at home to Deportivo La Coruna on October 15.
Meanwhile, Real coach Zinedine Zidane also goes into the long international break with a lot of thinking to do.
While the hiatus leaves fans having to mull over the team’s struggles a little longer, Zidane will be able to use the extra time off to find ways to get his squad back on track after four straight draws. “It’s my responsibility to look for solutions because we’ve got to change things. We can’t carry on like this,” he said. “I’m not happy, that much is clear.”
Real was held to a 1-1 draw by Eibar at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, leaving the field jeered by fans. The team had already failed to beat Las Palmas and Villarreal in the Spanish league, as well as Borussia Dortmund in the UCL. Its last win was at Espanyol on September 18.
Zidane said it’s too early in the season to talk about a crisis, but admitted the team has to turn things around when it resumes playing in two weeks.
Real’s next chance to snap its winless streak is on October 15 at Real Betis, a team which has yet to lose at home.
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