Pique: Barcelona are in a critical position
Carlo Garganese
- 12 Dec 2021 21:11 GMT
- 3 min read
Gerard Pique has admitted that Barcelona are in a critical position following their draw with Osasuna.
Barcelona have had a miserable week after they were eliminated from the Champions League in the group stage in midweek with a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in Germany.
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And the Blaugrana are now at risk of not even qualifying for next year’s Champions League as they are well off the top four pace following a 2-2 draw with Osasuna on Sunday.
Nico Gonzalez and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli gave Barcelona the lead on two occasions but they were pegged back twice.
What did Pique say?
“It’s a shame,” Gerard Pique told reporters after the match.
“I think we played well, and we competed at a very difficult ground. Their game is based on set-pieces. In the end, it came to a loose ball at the edge of the box.
“It’s a shame because I think it was a good game, when you consider where we came from. We leave with one point, unhappy with the result. We have to take three from each game.
"We have to fight"
— @3gerardpique pic.twitter.com/LvLaDipwmd— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 12, 2021
“The objective now is to think about the next game, only in the short term. We know that in the long run these youngsters are going to be very good for the club. But we have to get results. Win and win again. It’s really urgent. We’re in a critical situation.”
Barcelona manager Xavi was also disappointed with the result and admits that his objective for the season is to merely get into the top four.
What did Xavi say?
“A draw isn’t enough,” Xavi said.
“We competed well. At 2-1 we should have kept the ball but we didn’t. We’ve suffered a lot. Too much. We were unable to play calmly in the opposition half. We haven’t succeeded. We couldn’t overcome the negative dynamics within which we’re immersed. A draw isn’t enough.
“We have the contributions of the youngsters. They’re supporting the team in these difficult moments. Their effort is extraordinary. The difference these youngsters are making is hard to digest. We have to continue believing, but it’s going to be tough to change this dynamic. Let a favourable result come. We had the victory and we allowed it to escape us.
“The goal is to be among the top four and try to sneak into the fight for the league title. Why not? It’s going to be difficult but we have to keep believing.”
Ahead of the game it was revealed that Xavi had made the worst start by a Barcelona manager for 34 years.
