Despite the meager victory of Barcelona against Dynamo Kiev (1-0), Ronald Koeman is satisfied with the displayed game of his team. The trainer found his team ‘superior’ and mainly blames his players for not finishing the great opportunities. “I’m happy with the game, but not with our effectiveness,” said Koeman afterwards.
“If we are so superior and create so many chances, we have to score,” says Koeman, who believes that the responsibility of his attackers. The coach gave a starting place to Luuk de Jong, who missed a big chance in the first half. At halftime, the striker was replaced by Ansu Fati, who was also not able to break much. “The attackers are responsible for deciding the game, they have had the chances for it. It should have been 3 or 4-0.”
Koeman knows that the Barcelona supporters will not be completely satisfied. “I understand that the fans leave with an unpleasant feeling, because I think so too. You have to finish it. You have to be more effective. I think we created three great chances after the break. Fortunately, we were perfect defensively.” Indeed, Barcelona did not give away a single decent chance to the Ukrainians.
Fati came in unhappy in Koeman’s eyes. The attacker tried to score from close range with a standing overhead kick, where he might have been better off hitting a teammate. “Ansu’s actions show that he still lacks rhythm,” said Koeman about the wing striker, who was out for almost a year. “You have to take into account that he needs time. He also has to be 19 years old. We can’t ask him yet to fill the gap that Lionel Messi has left.” On Sunday, Barcelona will play at home against Real Madrid. “We can win el Clásico, yes. Why not?” concludes Koeman.