Ronald Koeman speaks following Dynamo Kyiv demolition | OneFootball

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Barca Universal

·24 November 2020

Ronald Koeman speaks following Dynamo Kyiv demolition

Article image:Ronald Koeman speaks following Dynamo Kyiv demolition

Barcelona thrashed Dynamo Kyiv this Tuesday. The Catalans are now through to the round of 16. Ronald Koeman shared his thoughts about his team’s performance.

“We met our goal, which was to pull off a good result and qualify for the round of 16. The team had energy, we lacked effectiveness in the first half, but we had it in the second. And good football. We can be very happy.“Today, we have seen a very hungry team. We scored four goals, important players were able to rest, and the youngsters have deserved these minutes. They have delivered.”Ronald Koeman | Post-match press conference

After a horrid start in the league, the least the Catalans could do was qualify for the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Blaugranas did it in style and thrashed pretty much every opposition. The backup players dominated and maybe gave their manager a bit of a headache, but a necessary one. Now, Sergiño Dest or Carles Aleña might get a look in.


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“Mingueza could play more matches as a centre-back. Today he proved himself.“Mingueza must continue working hard. He has shown that he can be relied upon.”Ronald Koeman | post-match press conference

Oscar Mingueza showed so much promise against Kyiv. The defender was cool, calm, and collected. He bullied the Ukrainian attackers and his footwork was perfect. He also assisted Martin Braithwaite. The Spaniard’s debut showed he can be called upon whenever the Spanish giants have an injury crisis, as confirmed by Koeman himself as well.

“Griezmann has played almost every game, and also with the national team. The reason why he only has played 30 minutes today is due to physical constraints.“The rotations today were made to rest players and give others a chance that they deserved.”Ronald koeman | post-match press conference

With an injury, institutional and results crisis at Camp Nou, the least Koeman could have done was rest his players. Some Blaugranas, like Ousmane Dembélé or Antoine Griezmann, deserved to rest while younger players like Aleña or Riqui Puig waited too long to get minutes. The fringe players did really well to thrash their opposition.

Barcelona’s performance shifted entirely in the second half. After a rather dull first half, the squad improved gradually and overrun Dynamo Kyiv — especially in the midfield, according to Koeman:

“We were better than in the first game against them today, especially in midfield. I liked the collective image we showed today. That’s what we want.”Ronald Koeman | post-match press conference

Koeman will continue his campaign in La Liga against Osasuna on Sunday. There is much more pressure on the Dutchman in that game, considering the fact that the Catalan club made one of their worst starts in La Liga history. Despite the great results in the Champions League, all eyes will be on Koeman’s upcoming results.

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