Getty Marc-Andre ter Stegen waves to fans at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is well aware it’s a tricky time for the club at present but has urged his teammates to be “more united than ever” after Monday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Granada.
The Catalan giants had looked as though they were going to slip to their first La Liga defeat of the season when Domingos Duarte gave Granada a shock lead inside the first two minutes at the Camp Nou.
However, center-back Ronald Araujo popped up with an equalizer in the 90th minute to rescue a point. Ter Stegen spoke afterwards about his disappointment at the result and how his team must dig in, as reported by Marca.
“The draw leaves us with a bitter aftertaste. It has cost us, but we have the feeling that we could have done more. In the end I think the draw is good because of the result, because we could have lost,” he said. “We have to be more united than ever, it is not an easy situation for anyone, we need the fans more than ever. I am convinced that with the energy of the young people and the rest of the team it is possible.”
Barcelona return to action on Thursday away at Cadiz and then welcome Levante to the Camp Nou on Sunday in what is a hectic week of La Liga action for Ronald Koeman’s side.
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Araujo Leads By Example
The hosts had Araujo to thank for their draw against Granada. The youngster put in a superb performance in defense and attack and spoke to Movistar about the game after the final whistle, as reported by Marca.
“It’s a shame because we wanted to win, we wanted the three points at home. We played a good game but we let in the early goal, they defended deeply, we tried to attack, have the ball and get back into the game,” he said. “When they scored a goal from a set piece it’s usually a lack of concentration, we have to correct that. It’s sometimes difficult at the start, but we have to correct that because then it’s difficult to get back.”
Barca struggled in attack and were without Sergio Aguero, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati, and Martin Braithwaite due to injury. Koeman ended the game by throwing on defender Gerard Pique as an emergency attacker alongside Luuk de Jong.
Koeman Refuses To Discuss Future
The draw with Granada is likely to increase scrutiny on Koeman, particularly after another poor performance from Barca. The Dutchman was asked about his future after the game but made his frustration clear, as reported by Eurosport.
“I don’t answer anymore questions about the future, I cannot win that [discussion],” he told LaLiga TV. “After the bad first two, three minutes, that wasn’t good at all and they score, you know you are playing against a team who is defending, who is losing [wasting] time in every second of the game, but we deserve at least one point.”
Barca’s draw leaves the team in seventh place the table in Spain. The Catalan giants are five points behind rivals Real Madrid but have played one game less than Los Blancos.
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