Barcelona midfielder Pedri says the club must bounce back from their 1-0 defeat at home to Leganes on Sunday.
An early goal from Sergio Gonzalez in the fourth minute proved decisive as Barcelona failed to secure victory for the fifth time in their last six LaLiga matches.
During this disappointing run, Barcelona managed to pick up just five points from a possible 18, allowing their lead at the top of the table to slip away.
They are now level with Atletico Madrid, who they face next weekend, and are just one point ahead of Real Madrid. Both Madrid teams still have a game in hand.
Speaking after the game, Pedri said: “It was a bad game, it’s impossible to be happy. I think we started the game half asleep. We woke up and created chances, but we didn’t have the spark we needed to score the goal.
“We have to be better in front of goal if we want to collect points. We are on a bad run in the league and we have to turn it around.
“We had a lot of games in a row, but that’s no excuse. We have to finish with the same confidence we have shown in the Champions League.
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“If you don’t score goals in football, it’s impossible to win.”
Barcelona dominated the match after conceding early but were repeatedly denied by Leganes goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic.
The Blaugrana have had more than 20 shots, with Robert Lewandowski taking six of them, and an Individual Expected Goals (xG) of 1.65.
With Hansi Flick suspended, assistant coach Markus Sorg took charge on the sidelines. small
peaking after the match, Sorg acknowledged that Barcelona’s young side need to adjust to the highs and lows of the season.
“In LaLiga, it is very difficult and at the moment we are struggling in the games,” said Sorg.
“Today, especially in the first 10 minutes, we didn’t concentrate as we usually do or as we sometimes do in the Champions League.
“We conceded a goal and after that, the team did everything to score. We created a lot of chances – 21, with five or six really good ones – and that’s the problem. We have to learn from it and the players have to get used to playing every three to four days.
“We are definitely not happy with the form now. But sometimes you have to accept that when you build a team, there are ups and downs.”
Adding to Barcelona’s concerns, Lamine Yamal appeared to injure his ankle in the first half but continued to play late into the second half.
The young star is scheduled to undergo tests on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
