Busquets, Balde, Kounde react after Barcelona 0-0 Girona: “Whole team was disappointing”

Barcelona failed to win their fifth La Liga match of the 2022/23 season as they were held to a goalless draw by Girona in the Catalan derby on Monday night at Spotify Camp Nou.

Coming into the game on the back of the 0-4 loss to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, Barça were unable to find the back of the net for a second game in a row and appeared to lack the creativity and killer instincts in the final third of the pitch.

The 0-0 draw means Barcelona are now 13 points clear of Real Madrid, although they could have increased the advantage to 15 had they won the match.

Speaking after the match, captain Sergio Busquets, who was one of the better players on the night, lamented the performance of the team, saying: “We had difficulties in the first half. We didn’t press well and we didn’t have clear chances to score.”

“I think that the whole team was disappointing today, but we have to keep going.”

The veteran midfielder admitted that they have a good lead at the top, but also insisted that Barcelona do not want to lose any match from here till the end of the season.

“Our goal is to win the league. It’s true that we have a 13-point difference, but we don’t want to lose a match. Our next match is against Getafe. It will be difficult and we have to win,” Busquets said.

Meanwhile, young defender Alejandro Balde, who was again preferred over Jordi Alba at left-back also spoke to the media after the match and said: “We wanted to add to the difference, but we’ve got to keep working.”

The 19-year-old claimed that Barcelona lacked the clinical edge in the final third of the pitch, saying: “We missed several chances. We lacked the effectiveness. It’s a long season and we still have matches to go. We have to keep fighting.”

Balde’s fellow defender Jules Kounde echoed similar sentiments, stating that the team were unable to show the finishing touches, as he said:

“We’re frustrated, as we wanted to win today. I think we missed scoring. We pressed well, recovered balls, and did most of the things in the right way.”

“Sometimes this is how football works. We have to keep working, as there are 10 matches to go. I think we have to follow on the same path and continue to work hard,” he added.

When asked if he had a message for the fans, Kounde said: “I have to ask them to believe in this team and trust us. We will do everything to win the next matches.”

Source: BarçaTV+