Barcelona increased the chances of the national title in Spain on Monday evening. Two days after the scoreless draw of Atlético Madrid at Getafe (0-0), the team of trainer Ronald Koeman won 4-1 against Huesca and the gap with the leader of La Liga is only four points. Barcelona has now been unbeaten for seventeen league games in a row and is therefore confidently working towards the coming weeks. “I’ve always said that the league title was a possibility,” Koeman emphasized afterwards.
“We missed a lot of points in the beginning, but we reacted well and we cannot lose any more points now,” said the Dutchman. “Whether that is also possible? It is going to be very difficult. There are many teams that can make life difficult for us. There are no easy matches. If you are not doing well, you will lose matches. ” Koeman was asked in which area his players have made progress. “In different areas. We are more efficient. And we have reduced the number of individual errors in a match. That creates more self-confidence. ”
Magnificent Messi! ?? De Vlo is doing great for Barca: 1-0 against Huesca ?? And that on his record night for the Catalans ???? #ZiggoSport #LaLiga #BarcaHuesca pic.twitter.com/8FOM7ioOii
– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) March 15, 2021
“That puts you better on the field. The system with three central defenders has given us more defensive strength but also more quality. We have achieved a good result today to continue to grow. The first half was good on our part and the intensity did not disappear after the break. ” The 3-1 was not a goal from a corner, it was a short corner, but Barcelona actually scored for the first time this football year after a corner. “Finally,” agreed Koeman. “The players spend a lot of time improving the standard situations. A nice goal for Óscar ”, he referred to the striking header by Óscar Mingueza in the 53rd minute from a cross by Lionel Messi.
Of course, Messi himself, good for two wonderful goals and an assist, was also discussed at Koeman’s press conference. The attacker also equaled the record number of matches of former teammate Xavi for Barcelona against Huesca: 767. “What more can I say about Messi that has not been said yet?” The Dutchman openly wondered. “The level that he has been showing for so many years, in so many competitions. He has matched Xavi. He is the most important person in the history of Barcelona and luckily he is still with us. He shows that he is the best. The first goal was really fantastic. He deserves to be important to this team. ”
Penalty kick? ?? Just before half-time, Huesca comes back to 2-1 in Camp Nou due to a used penalty from Rafa Mir? At the very least a debatable decision …#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #BarcaHuesca pic.twitter.com/PNNrZhkCR6
– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) March 15, 2021
Barcelona seemed to go into half-time with a 2-0 lead, but Huesca received a very controversial penalty kick. Marc-André ter Stegen did not hit Rafa Mir with his hand, but that not only escaped referee Adrián Cordero Vega, but remarkably also the VAR. The same Rafa Mir cashed in on the gift, which in Koeman’s view should never have been handed out. “The VAR has actually looked at the images. If you look back, you can see that Ter Stegen does not hit the attacker. It is crazy to give a penalty kick. The referee can whistle for it, but the VAR must check it out. Clearly cannot. I don’t know what needs to be changed. ”
“It took four to five minutes in total. And if the VAR gets involved, it’s not a penalty. I don’t understand how a penalty can be given and then made even more difficult. I don’t understand the VAR and that’s not the first time ”, Koeman concluded. Barcelona will play an away game against number five Real Sociedad on Sunday evening at 9 p.m., which in turn does not want to lose the view of a Champions League ticket. Atlético will play a home game against low-flyer Deportivo Alavés the same day, while Real Madrid, which has six points less than Atlético, will visit Celta de Vigo a day earlier.