Football NewsRonald Koeman gave an honest opinion of his Barcelona side
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The coach was pleased with some aspects of his squad’s performance but was not afraid to pinpoint precisely where it went wrong for them at the Camp Nou.

Playing against Sevilla was very difficult for Koeman’s side

Ronald Koeman gave an honest opinion of his Barcelona side, as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Sevilla on Sunday. The coach was pleased with some aspects of his squad’s performance but was not afraid to pinpoint precisely where it went wrong for them at the Camp Nou. “It was a tough game,” Koeman said at a full time. “They pressed us well. Our issue was that our play with the ball was not how we wanted. Sevilla play good football, and they press well and are physically stronger than us. They are a top squad. I think Barca played well, but we lost a lot of the ball in the second half, so it’s hard to get into the game’s rhythm. I am pleased with the squad’s performance. The team was tired, but we played until the end. But we fought against a great opponent.”

Philippe Coutinho started the season in great shape under Koeman and scored Barcelona’s equalizer against Sevilla. “Coutinho needs the help and confidence of his manager, but he needs to perform,” Koeman said. “He had good matches. He showed that he is a great player”. In the second game in a row, Antoine Griezmann was Koeman’s first substitute in the match. “The change the other day against Celta Vigo was tactical,” insisted the Barcelona boss. “With Ansu Fati, we had more penetration and pace – which is what we needed in Vigo with ten men. Today Griezmann had two chances to score, and for a player of his quality, he had to score either of those two chances. One player who did not leave the bench as Barcelona were looking for a winner was Ousmane Dembele, whose future at the club is in the air.