Getty Frenkie de Jong after Barcelona's Champions League defeat to Benfica.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong admits his club are going through a tough time but has urged his teammates not to give up hope after Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League defeat at Benfica.
The result leaves Barca bottom of Group E with zero points after two games and facing a mountain to climb if they are to qualify and make it through to the knockout stages of Europe’s top competition.
The match started badly with Benfica scoring the opening goal inside three minutes through Darwin Nunez. De Jong admits his team are going through a tricky spell but have to keep fighting, as reported by Marca.
“We started very, very badly, but there are still games left. As long as there are games left, we have a chance to go through. We have to fight to get through the group stage,” he added. “Times are very difficult, we have lost the first two games in the group, we have not scored and we are in a very difficult situation..but we have to keep going. We are trying everything and working hard in training.”
The result will pile more pressure on coach Ronald Koeman but De Jong does not think replacing the Dutchman is the answer. He added, “I can’t talk about Koeman, it’s not about me. I don’t think changing the coach can solve anything.”
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Koeman Collecst Unwanted Records
Barcelona’s defeat also sees Koeman collect some unwanted records. The result in Portugal means Barca have lost their first two group matches for only the second time in the club’s history, as shown by Opta.
2 – Barcelona have lost their first two matches in a UEFA European campaign for only the second time in their entire history, after their two defeats in UEFA Cup first round tie with FC Porto in 1972-73 and suffering elimination. Difficulty.
The Catalans’ recent record in European competition also leaves a lot to be desired. Opta have also highlighted how Barca have failed to win any of their last five games in Europe’s top competition, have been beaten four times, scoring just twice and conceding 14 goals.
Koeman also saw center-back Eric Garcia sent off in the second half on another tough night for the 20-year-old, as shown by Squawka Football.
Eric Garciá has received as many red cards (2) as he has won games since re-joining Barcelona. 😳
Barcelona must now regroup quickly with another crucial fixture on the horizon. The Catalan giants are back in action on Saturday against defending champions Atletico Madrid in La Liga at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Koeman ‘Feels Backed’ Despite Defeat
Koeman spoke to the press after the match, as reported by UEFA, and insisted he still feels backed despite a tough start to the 2021-22 campaign and amid continued speculation about his future at the Camp Nou.
“I’m not going to argue about the level of my team. There’s no point in comparing this with Barcelona teams of years gone by. That’s as clear as water. I can only give you my opinion of my work at the club – I feel backed by my players and their attitude,” he said. “It’s tough to accept this result. I don’t think the scoreline corresponds to the match we watched. Despite going behind quickly we played well until it went to 2-0.”
Barcelona’s next two Champions League group games are against Dynamo Kiev who were hammered 5-0 by Bayern Munich on Wednesday. The Catalans beat Kiev home and away last season and will need similar results again if they are to have any chance of progressing.
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