Barcelona Player Assumes Responsibility for Loss against Atletico Madrid
Barcelona Player Assumes Responsibility for Loss against Atletico Madrid
Barcelona star Raphinha acknowledged responsibility for his team's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid at Montjuic on Saturday.
Both teams began the top-of-the-table encounter with identical points, but while Barca endured consecutive home losses to Leganes and Las Palmas, Atletico had won an impressive 11 consecutive matches across all venues and also held a game in hand.
Barca took the lead through Pedri, but they were ultimately undone by two late strikes from Rodrigo de Paul and Alexander Sorloth, with Raphinha and his teammate failing to convert crucial opportunities.
Following the match, with Barcelona having relinquished a six-point advantage atop the standings secured against Real Madrid in El Clásico, and now facing the potential of trailing by as many as six points, Raphinha didn't back down from accepting his share of the blame.
"I believe we performed well ... I have the tendency to say that we can't dictate the results, but we can control our performances on the pitch. I believe we played well today," he initially commented to the club's official channels.
"Today, I take responsibility for this defeat. At a crucial moment, I missed a scoring opportunity and shortly after, they equalized. Then I gave away a pass that led to their second goal. I can't deny that I'm the one who caused today's defeat," the Brazilian continued.
Raphinha was specifically referring to a missed opportunity when he found himself one-on-one with Jan Oblak.
Shortly after, on a Barcelona counterattack, Raphinha surrendered possession in the Atletico penalty area which ultimately resulted in Sorloth's game-winning goal - though Alejandro Balde also must shoulder some of the blame for being woefully out of position.
While the Barca camp's general sentiment is one of disappointment among the disheartened players, Raphinha, who has often stepped up as captain in the absence of the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen of late, expressed his confidence in their work.
"There's still half of La Liga left. We need to concentrate on our work and seek the best results," urged the winger.
Raphinha admitted that he gave away a pass in the Atletico penalty area during the match, which led to Alexander Sorloth's game-winning goal. Despite Barcelona's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid, Hansi Flick's team currently shares the La Liga summit with Real Madrid. Raphinha, acting as a temporary captain in the absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, remains optimistic about their chances, calling for focus and determination to overcome the setback and secure the best possible results in the remaining half of the La Liga season.