Ernesto Valverde: Decisions went against Barcelona in Celta Vigo draw
ByPA Sport
Published 02/12/2017 at 16:53 GMT
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde felt his side were hard done by after Luis Suarez's goal was wrongly disallowed in Saturday's 2-2 LaLiga draw against Celta Vigo.
Ernesto Valverde was frustrated by a linesman's flag against Celta Vigo
Image credit: PA Sport
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde felt his side were hard done by after Luis Suarez's goal was wrongly disallowed in Saturday's 2-2 LaLiga draw against Celta Vigo.
In-form Iago Aspas continued his hot scoring streak by putting the visitors ahead on 20 minutes, only for Lionel Messi to equalise within two minutes.
Suarez then had a goal incorrectly chalked off for offside. The Uruguay striker did then put the hosts ahead just after the hour mark, but Maxi Gomez's 70th-minute equaliser ensured Celta did not leave empty-handed.
"You always want the controversy to benefit you, and mistakes to be in your favour," Valverde told beIN Sports, quoted by as.com.
"But we hope that in the next refereeing decision they do not make a mistake. I'm quiet. It's not something that has not happened to me before."
The dropped points were not the only bad news for the Catalan club, who announced after the game that defender Samuel Umtiti will be out for eight weeks with a thigh injury.
The France international pulled up when in pursuit of Aspas in the build-up to Celta's equaliser.
Valverde continued: "It was a hotly contested match. They started well and we struggled to get into the game.
"At 2-1, we could score the third goal - it was not to be. Then Umtiti suffered his injury and they scored the equaliser. Then we had four chances, but we could not get (the winner).
"It was a cluster of misfortunes. The big one was Umtiti's injury. There are many things that have happened to us this year, but we must continue.
"We are Barca and we want to win always. Sometimes it is not possible to get three points. It already happened to us in Valencia (1-1 draw at the Mestalla last weekend). These things happen in long competitions."
Andres Iniesta looked far from amused to be replaced by Denis Suarez in the early stages of the second half, but Valverde insisted the midfielder had asked to be hooked.
"He asked me for the change," the Barca boss said. "I hope it's not (anything significant)."
Celta coach Juan Carlos Unzue - Barcelona's assistant for three years until leaving to take up the Celta reins in May this year - played down the personal achievement of collecting a point on his return to his former club.
"The least important is what it must mean for me," he was quoted as saying at his post-match press conference.
"For Celta and my players it is an important injection of morale. It is a way of endorsing that the idea we are trying to convey is effective and can make us compete and play better.
"We have a lot of room for improvement and that's what makes me positive."
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