FC Barcelona advanced to the next round of the Copa del Rey after their victory over Unionistas de Salamanca last night. The Catalans came out as the 3-1 winners in this match.
However, while they were able to overturn the deficit last night, Xavi’s men still had to come back from behind to win this match, as Unionistas scored the first goal of the game.
The team’s defense can be blamed for not having been able to keep their goal protected enough, but as the match went on, the Barcelona backline was able to wash away some of the criticism aimed their way.
Jules Kounde was particularly effective last night, as he scored a great long-range goal, which put the Blaugranes ahead after Ferran Torres had equalized Alvaro Gomez’s strike.
As SPORT has reported, the French defender also talked to the press after the match, and clearly took responsibility for the defensive problems of the team on himself:
“The players are responsible for what is happening. We can talk about the coach, but in the end, those who play are us.”
Kounde went on to explain why the backline is suffering so much this season, and what needs to be improved:
“We have to communicate better and close the lines. This year we are lacking intensity and decisiveness.”
The Frenchman showed great character by taking the blame for the team’s poor performances away from Xavi and upon himself. Furthermore, these comments also indicate that there are no significant differences between Xavi and the team, as some recent rumors have claimed to be the case.
