25 December 2024

Barcelona midfielder Pedri said the club must bounce back after their 1-0 defeat to Leganes at home on Sunday.

Sergio Gonzalez's early goal in the fourth minute proved decisive as Barcelona failed to win for the fifth time in their last six La Liga matches.

During this disappointing spell, Barcelona managed to collect just five points out of a possible 18, allowing their lead at the top of the table to slip.

They are now tied on points with Atletico Madrid, who they face next weekend, and just one point ahead of Real Madrid. Both Madrid clubs still have a match in hand.

Speaking after the match, Pedri said: “It was a bad game, and it's impossible to be happy. I think we started the game half asleep. We woke up and created chances, but we didn't have the spark we needed to score the goal.

“We have to be better in front of goal if we want to get points. We are having a bad run in the league, and we have to change that.

“We've had a lot of games in a row, but that's no excuse. We have to finish the game with the same confidence we showed in the Champions League.

“If you don't score goals in football, it's impossible to win.”

Barcelona took control of the match after conceding an early goal, but Leganes goalkeeper Marko Dimitrovic saved it repeatedly.

The Blaugrana scored more than 20 shots, with Robert Lewandowski taking six of them and recording an individual expected goals (xG) figure of 1.65.

With Hansi Flick suspended, assistant coach Marcus Sorge took over on the bench. S

In his post-match climax, Sorge admitted that Barcelona's young squad must adapt to the highs and lows of the season.

“In the Spanish League, it is very difficult, and at the moment we are suffering in matches,” Sorg said.

“Today, especially in the first 10 minutes, we were not as focused as we usually do, or as we sometimes do in the Champions League.

“We conceded a goal and then the team tried everything to score. We created a lot of chances – 21, of which five or six were really good ones – and that's the problem. We have to learn from that, and the players have to get used to playing every three to four days.

“We are definitely not happy with the form now. But sometimes you have to accept that when you build a team, there are ups and downs.

Adding to Barcelona's concerns, Lamin Yamal appeared to hurt his ankle in the first half but continued to play until late in the second half.

The young star is scheduled to undergo tests on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

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