Alfred Schreuder reflects on Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Levante | OneFootball

Barcelona have endured a rough spell over the past three games, since their drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League opener. And with Ronald Koeman and Frenkie de Jong missing due to suspension, today was another tough task.

The Catalans hosted a Levante side in disarray and managed to score three unanswered goals to grab a convincing victory. They climbed up to fifth in the table after having lost serious ground in the title race with draws against Granada and Cadiz.

Koeman’s assistant Alfred Schreuder presided over the dugout on Sunday as Barcelona won in emphatic fashion with a lot of the players putting in great shifts.

Here are the Dutchman’s thoughts on the team’s performance, the youngsters’ shifts and the exciting return of Ansu Fati after over 10 months on the sidelines.

On the team’s display: “From the beginning of the game we have been able to verify that we had the right energy. We like to play with a lot of pressure, also against Granada and Cádiz it was like this. It’s been a great game and a very special moment in the stadium with the return of Ansu Fati.”

On Fati’s much-awaited return: “Ansu is an excellent player, who generates many opportunities and converts them very well. He is a player we need and we are very happy with his return.”

On the overall contribution from the players: “The return of Ansu Fati is great news, but today we must not forget the game that all the players have played. The youngsters have played very well, Kun, Pedri, Alba will return soon… We will have a very powerful line-up.”

On trusting the youth: “I have no doubt, Koeman already said it. If the players show that they are good we will not look at their age. It was already seen last year with Ilaix and Pedri. We have occupied many positions with the young players, this is the future of Barça.”

On the lessons learned from today: “We have defended very well today and only at the end of the game have we let them create an opportunity, and we saved it. Now we focus on Benfica, a very important game in the Champions League. We want aggressiveness and defensive discipline for Benfica and Atleti.”

On the environment in the locker room: “Everyone is happy, the dressing room is lively, today we had team spirit, we shared the ball as a team, with a lot of ball possession and the team is satisfied in general. There has been a great combination of emotions.”

Source: Barça TV+