• Chronicle: Messi attends Barcelona in a thrilling match at Villamarín

Quique Setién may be transmitting better sensations than those sent by Ernesto Valverde , but there is something that the relay on the bench, at least for now, has not managed to change: the defensive fragility of Barça. The Barça team has a hard time keeping their goal to zero. In fact, since the relay took place on the bench, the Barcelona team has only been able to leave a match without conceding any goal in the second round of the Copa del Rey against Leganés (5-0). The rest of its rivals, including Ibiza, have been able to beat it at least once.

The center of the defense is, at the moment, one of the great Achilles heels of the Barça team. Currently, Quique Setién has only three centrals of the first team, of which Gerard Piqué , low by penalty in Villamarín, is the only right-handed, given that the club broke off in the past winter market of Jean-Clair Todibo , on loan to Schalke 04 with a purchase option for the Germans. Clément Lenglet will miss the match against Getafe after seeing the red and will follow a yellow suspension, while Samuel Umtiti , meanwhile, seems to be far from his best form. The former Olympique de Lyon player chained one error after another throughout the first part of the duel against Betis and thus multiplied the feeling of fragility that the Barça defender has transmitted throughout the current season.

In what we have in the League, Barça have conceded 28 goals, 11 of them at home and 17 away from Camp Nou . That is, twice as many as Real Madrid has received from Zinedine Zidane. Of the 23 matches he has played so far in the league championship, in addition, he has only been able to leave his goal to zero seven times. Curiously, the opponent who has been able to punish with greater harshness that defensive weakness also dresses Barca: the Levant. The Granota team defeated the team then led by Valverde 3-1 in the Ciutat de València after Leo Messi put his team ahead from the penalty spot.

"We have improved a lot"

Quique Setién, despite everything, was happy with the performance of the team. «I think we have improved a lot, we are not receiving so many occasions. It is true that due to the way of playing there are always some imbalances that we try to correct, but I am quite happy with the defensive attitude the team has had, both in this match and in Bilbao. I think that in the second part we practically don't grant any occasion, ”he said. His main complaint, of course, had the VAR as the protagonist: «We have an extraordinary tool that helps us make football more fair. Maybe it is too early to get the most out of it, but I do believe that it will be necessary to unify criteria, because there are plays that in one match are going to see them and not in others.

«I keep many things, not just the game and the result. We must give a lot of value to this victory, ”he said. «It is very important, because it allows us to stay there, in the high positions, and for the emotional support that it will suppose. We are growing and this will allow us to continue doing it, ”said the coach.

"Barça should have stayed with 10"

For his part, Rubi said that FC Barcelona "had to have stayed with 10" after a strong entry of Sergi Roberto to Aleñá in the 38th minute and that "without a doubt" would have changed the future of the game. «After 1-1 we had a little bad because we could not push up, but I think we have remade ourselves. And then with 2-1 I have seen the most touched Barça. In the 38th minute, Barça had to stay with 10, there is no discussion, ”the Betis coach insisted.

«In that play there is no type of discussion, and if then you add that we have lacked mischief ... because in the second part we have paid. You cannot make the slightest mistake against this type of equipment and we have committed them, ”said Rubi, upset with the arbitration of José María Sánchez Martínez.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports
  • football
  • FC Barcelona
  • First division
  • Real Betis Football

LaLigaThe haggling by Rodrigo and 174 million Barça in the last decade in Mestalla

LaLigaThe long shadow of Andrés Iniesta falls on De Jong

Supercup of Spain The Arab fans of Barça: "It is an independence flag, of course we know it"