Ronald Koeman criticised his Barcelona players for missing two penalties on Thursday as they needed extra time to end the cup run of third-...
Ronald Koeman criticised his Barcelona players for missing two penalties on Thursday as they needed extra time to end the cup run of third-division side Cornella and reach the Copa del Rey last 16.
Goals from Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite in extra time sealed a 2-0 victory for Barca but only after Miralem Pjanic and Dembele had both failed to score penalties in normal time.
Pjanic and Dembele join a list of five Barcelona players to have missed penalties this season, along with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Braithwaite.
“I don’t understand because normally there are enough players who can score penalties,” said Barca coach Koeman.
“Maybe they are scary, I don’t know. Several players have failed and, above all, if you score one of the two penalties, you calm down. You cannot miss two penalties as Barca players. It’s not serious.”
Barca were looking for a reaction on the back of their shock loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, when Messi was sent off for the club for the first time.
With Messi suspended, a rotated line-up laboured to victory after a third consecutive extra-time in eight days.
Pjanic missed the first penalty in the 39th minute after Ronald Araujo went down under a high foot...
