Barcelona defeated in the first match: how Barcelona lost without Messi

In the first match of the Examples of the season 2019/20, Athletic sensationally beat Barcelona. After a meeting in Bilbao, Catalan coach Ernesto Valverde admitted that his team needed to learn how to cope without Lionel Messi in the roster, while loser defender Gerard Pique did not attach much importance to failure at the start of the championship, noting that it was better to lose now than at the end of the season.

The first match of the new season in the Spanish Example turned out well. “Athletic” in their native walls is a dangerous rival for any club, which was once again confirmed on Friday night in the match against Barcelona - the country's champion lost to the Basques with a score of 0: 1.

The winning goal was scored already in the 89th minute: it was the forward of the hosts Aritz Auris, a minute after leaving the substitution with a scissor, he unsealed the goal of the Catalans, who for the first time since 2008 did not win in the opening round of the Spanish Championship (then they lost the blue-garnet away by the score 0: 1 of “Nuances”).

By the way, forward Antoine Griezmann made his debut in this match for Barcelona, who became the main transfer of the Catalans this offseason. The Frenchman played 90 minutes but failed to score effective actions.

And the hero of the meeting Aduris not only created a sensation but also caught up with the Barcelona captain Lionel Messi - the Argentine scored in Example for 15 consecutive seasons.

Having scored the first goal in the Example in the season 2005/06, the basque continues to be different in each of the Spanish championships draws - the goal scorer has 158 goals scored in 430 matches of the national championship.

As for Messi, who can update this record to 16 seasons, Leo missed a meeting in Bilbao because of damage.

After the match, the Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde, spoke about the absence of a leader on the field. The specialist noted that his wards did not show even half of what they are capable of, adding that the team should learn to win without Messi at the core.

“In the first half, we were not good. The team could not control the course of the match. We had moments, but it was required to show more aggression in the attack. The second half was better, but Athletic defended deeply, it was hard to pass such a defense.

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• Barcelona defeated in the first match: how Barcelona lost without Messi

Suarez injury? He has muscle damage - you need to wait for the results of medical tests. And about the absence of Messi, I can only say one thing: we are used to the fact that Leo solves the situation in our favour, but we need to be able to cope without it. Earlier we had good matches without Lionel ... But, obviously, we miss him, ”

- quotes the words of Valverde Marca.

The defender of the Catalan team Gerard Pique echoes his coach. He is sure that the fiasco at the San Mames stadium will not get Barcelona off the right track - the club only needs to fully integrate into the season...

“Playing at San Mames is always very difficult. From the very beginning, the opponent pressed us heavily and was better physically. In the second half, the Atletico players got a little hooked. In the end, victory or defeat is the details. Better to lose now than at the end of the season.

The reasons for this result? After the preseason, we have new players ... Sometimes you get ready, but everything is not going as expected ”,

- quoted by Pique AS.

The Spaniard rightly emphasized changes in the team: the Catalans still have a lot of changes ahead, which means they should wait for a bit later.

For example, Philippe Coutinho is sitting on his suitcases, who didn’t get into the application for the game with Athletic: Bavaria on the official website confirmed the information that an agreement was reached with Barcelona regarding the transfer of the star Brazilian. The 27-year-old midfielder will be rented by the Munich team until the end of the 2019/20 season. Bayern will have the priority right to further redeem the player’s transfer.

Do not forget about the saga with the escape from PSG Neymar: a source in Barcelona has already confirmed that the club will be ready to close the transfer of the attacker, who played for the blue garnet from 2013 to 2017 if he publicly expresses a desire to return to Camp Nou ".

“If Neymar publicly expresses a desire to return to us, we will close his transfer within 48 hours,” a Sport.es source quotes.

But we must hurry: the season began with a defeat, ahead of the Champions League. And Neymar continues to pawn Real Madrid, who really wants to take advantage of PSG’s bad relations with the Catalan club and take away an expensive asset from underneath its sworn opponents.

Restructuring in Catalonia continues.

It is worth noting that in the second round, Athletic will fight Getafe on the road on August 24, while Barcelona will receive Betis a day later.