The Catalans led 2-0 at halftime in a game that was a must-win game to keep their chances for the LaLiga title.
Coaches are always questioned
Ronald Koeman has expressed that Barcelona’s disastrous second half against Levante could cost him his job at the Camp Nou. The Catalans led 2-0 at halftime in a game that was a must-win game to keep their chances for the LaLiga title. They were pegged back 2-2 before leading again, only to let then that lead to slip as well to draw. “Coaches are always questioned,” Koeman said after the game. “But I understand that after that second half, there are questions. We are upset, and we think about what happened. Barca have to move on and be ready for the next season. As a coach, you always have a responsibility. We spoke at halftime about improving defensively and not dropping our intensity. We were hopeful, and we were 2-0 ahead. You don’t expect to draw from there.”
The Dutchman admitted that winning the title is improbable from Barcelona’s current position. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are both ahead of them in the table and with games to play. “Our goal was to win all three games and hope that the others would lose points,” the coach said. “But now it’s challenging. The games in football last for 90 minutes, and we lost a lot in the second half. Levante caused problems, and we defended poorly. It isn’t very pleasant. It is impossible to understand what happened and it is difficult to explain it.” Ousmane Dembele played with great defensive responsibility on the night but ended the evening with a goal and an assist to his name.
“He caused a lot of danger on his wing, and he was outstanding defensively,” Koeman said of the winger. “It was more extreme for him to play on the wing-back. His counterattack was devastating.”