In LaLiga Matchday 7, Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1 away. After the match, Barcelona midfielder Rodri was interviewed by the club's official channel.
Winning a game with a comeback like this really boosts the team's morale.
Yes, it was a crucial victory, and I think the whole team learned valuable lessons from it. The Pizjuán Stadium is always a tough place to play, and we knew that. Sevilla played an excellent game; they are a very resilient team with a clear tactical approach. We really struggled to get into the game in the first half, making many unforced errors, as they say in tennis, giving away cheap possession and offering counter-attacking opportunities to the opposition. Against a team that defends deep and has fast, physically strong counter-attacking players, we need to play smarter. Fortunately, we made effective adjustments in the second half. I think this match showed two completely different halves: a poor first half and an extremely good second half.
In the first half, it seemed difficult to find space between the opponent's defense and midfield, an area where Barcelona is usually most dangerous. What adjustments did the team make at halftime to improve this?
Pep Guardiola and I once discussed this, and it's true: no tactical system can compensate for the vulnerabilities caused by frequent turnovers. So the key is for the whole team to be calmer and more composed, and reduce possession loss; it's not entirely a matter of tactical formation. In the first half, they played man-to-man marking, which made it difficult to pass directly to our midfielders. But in such situations, the center-backs must be bold in pushing forward and increasing their involvement in the attack in the opponent's half, which is exactly what we did in the second half. Gérard Martín's performance after coming off the bench was outstanding. It's a shame Christensen got injured and had to come off, but overall, we are happy with the win.
The team enters the international break with a perfect record. This year's break is different from previous years—much longer than usual. Given your current excellent form, has this break come at an inopportune time, especially being so long?
Actually, the rhythm of matches won't be broken regardless; we will continue to compete intensely for our national teams. The most important thing is to focus on these important matches and return to the club in the best possible physical condition.
On Barcelona's official channel, we select the Man of the Match after every game, with guest participation in the voting. Please give us your top three picks. Who would you vote for as today's Man of the Match?
Okay, I definitely won't vote for myself. For third place, everyone probably has someone in mind, right? Raphinha's performance today was clearly decisive—Man of the Match material. I think Yamal also played very, very well. If I had to name one more, perhaps Adeyemi; I really liked his performance after coming on as a substitute in the second half.
AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com