Ronald Koeman is happy with the start of Barcelona at LaLiga. The Spanish top club won 0-3 at Celta de Vigo on Thursday evening, which means that the Catalans, after the previous 4-0 victory over Villarreal, have not yet lost any points after two match days. The Dutchman, who can now prepare for a home game with Sevilla on Sunday, spoke after the meeting about, among other things, the red card for Clément Lenglet, the reserve role of Ousmane Dembélé and the Champions League draw.

“I think we did an excellent job,” said Koeman after the victory. “I am proud of the team. We worked hard and played with discipline. Even with one man less we created the best opportunities to score and I am very happy about that. ” Koeman regretted the second yellow card for Lenglet in the 42nd minute, but half time was an important moment. “I was able to talk to the team about how to play with one man less. The 4-4-1 system was very compact on the field and I think we did very well in that regard. I am proud of the way we enforced this victory. This was a well-deserved result. ”

Just before the start of the second half, Lionel Messi, Gerard Piqué and Carlos Cerro del Grande had a somewhat intense conversation about the red card for Lenglet under the watchful eye of Koeman in the tunnel. The referee then demonstrated to Messi how the defender had committed a foul on Denis Suárez. “You can argue about whether it is a violation, I think so, but you can also argue whether it is worth a card, knowing he already had one in his pocket,” Koeman continued. “It was a tough penalty, but the job of a referee is sometimes difficult. It was important that we did not complain about the moment, but rather talked about how to play with a man less until half time. That was also the key to victory: playing football with discipline and having players in the front who can make a difference. ”

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– El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) October 1, 2020

Koeman is happy with the good start of Barcelona. “Yes, we are on the right track. These results are in our favor and now we have to keep working hard. We can win many games. ” Fati scored two goals against Villarreal and opened the score in Balaidos. Messi also left a good impression. “They both played very well, the whole team. Leo has also done a lot without the ball and that is an important factor. ” This time there was no playing time for Ousmane Dembélé: the Frenchman, who is associated with Manchester United, was allowed to fill in for Fati against Villarreal twenty minutes before time, but in Vigo he stayed on the bench for ninety minutes.

It was no signal to Dembele that the prospect of playing time will be limited, Koeman emphasized. “No absolutely not. If you think that way, I don’t think you should select a player either. Ousmane was in the match selection. With a score of 0-1 in the second half I saw players getting tired and I think both Pedri and Trincao have more to offer defensively than Dembélé. That was the main reason. ” Koeman also avoided comparisons with last season. No fewer than seven basic forces in Vigo were also present in August when Bayern Munich beat the Catalans 2-8. “Who am I to talk about what happened last season,” he emphasized.

“I’m only interested in this season. From day one I have seen hungry soccer players, soccer players with feelings of revenge. Revanche in the sense that such a season may not be repeated. They work hard, they train even harder and with even more intensity. You play as you train and you see that they are in good physical shape. We are in better shape than many would think. ” Finally, Koeman was satisfied with the draw for the Champions League group stage. “I think we can be happy. Barcelona and Juventus are the two best teams in the group, although we will have to show it. We want and must advance a round and respect our opponents. ” Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros complete Group H.