Koeman talks tactics, reflects on pre-season following Salzburg loss

Barcelona concluded their pre-season tour ahead of the Joan Gamper game against Juventus, as they faced off against RB Salzburg in Austria. While the game ended in a 2-1 loss for the Blaugrana, it was a fantastic test as the 2021-22 season draws nearer.

Luka Sukic opened the scoring in the 43rd minute to hand Salzburg the lead. Martin Braithwaite’s 82nd minute equaliser made it look like the game was poised for a draw, before Brenden Aaronson scored in the final minute to seal victory for the Austrian side.

Coach Ronald Koeman spoke to the press after the match to reflect on a successful tour and provided his takeaways ahead of the new campaign. Here are his thoughts on the match.

On his tactical systems: “The system of playing with three defenders gave us a lot of positive things last season, but this does not necessarily mean that we will continue to play with this system during the new season.”

On Salzburg: “The rival has played with great intensity and it been a good preparation.”

On the overall impact of preseason: “I don’t like to lose but I’m happy with what we’ve done after a week of this tour.”

On the new season: “We are looking forward to doing good things and bringing joy to our fans.”

Source: Barça TV+