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Ronald Koeman has mentioned Lionel Messi wants extra assist from his teammates as Barcelona battle to remain within the La Liga title race.
Messi, 33, has scored 18 instances within the league this season, which equates to round 34% of Barca’s targets within the Spanish prime flight. Antoine Griezmann, with six, is Barca’s second prime scorer, whereas Ansu Fati, injured since November, is third with 4 targets.
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Barca journey to Sevilla on Saturday with the prospect to quickly transfer inside two factors of leaders Atletico Madrid, though they’ll have performed two extra video games, and degree with Real Madrid. Sevilla, in the meantime, can leapfrog Barca into third with a win and can nonetheless have a sport in hand on Koeman’s facet.
“It isn’t simply as much as the senior gamers to step ahead,” Koeman mentioned in a information convention on Friday having beforehand known as on the veterans to take extra duty.
“To present an instance, Leo has scored 18 targets. The remainder of the attackers, collectively, have roughly the identical quantity. He additionally wants assist.
“The duty must be shared round. Sure, the older gamers should assist the youthful gamers within the squad, however usually it is as much as the entire staff to step ahead.”
This weekend’s sport on the Sanchez Pizjuan is the primary of a double-header between Barca and Sevilla, with the edges assembly once more at Camp Nou within the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday. Sevilla gained the primary leg 2-0.
Wins for Sevilla might spell the top of Barca’s season in March, with the Blaugrana 4-1 down towards Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League, however Koeman would not agree he is dealing with a very powerful week of his tenure up to now.
“There’s stress for all groups, not simply us, regardless of what it might appear [in the press],” he added.
“Being a Barca participant or the Barca coach means stress exists in each sport. In the event you do not win, in the event you lose video games, then the coach all the time accountable. I settle for that duty.”
Defender Ronald Araujo is again within the squad for the sport towards Sevilla, though Sergi Roberto, Philippe Coutinho and Fati are all nonetheless sidelined with accidents.
Koeman’s ended prematurely when he bought a nosebleed for the second time this season throughout in a information convention.
A membership supply advised ESPN he is advantageous and defined he takes blood thinners after struggling a coronary heart downside final yr and that they are the reason for the nostril bleeds.
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