Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja reviewed the match that his team played against FC Barcelona on this opening weekend of LaLiga EASports action.

Assessing the match

The explanation is simple. When we wanted to play as a brave, aggressive team, pressed Barça up top and were consistent in our efforts, in the first 45 minutes, we performed at a great level and were better than Barça, with the chance of making it 2-0. 

A move in the last minute of the half made it 1-1 and that affected us, because we had made a great effort in the first half. And as soon as we came out in the second half, when we had to continue being just as intense and pressing and when Barça were not comfortable, we found ourselves 1-2 down. 

All of that affects us. And then you lose energy and there are players who have not had continuity, players who have been away with the national teams like Mosquera, Yarek and Diego López… These are situations that make you lose energy and against Barça you can't do that.

Cubarsí not being sent off

There is an action that could have got us back into the game: The second yellow card for Cubarsí. It was clear and the referee did not want to interpret it that way, and when we wanted to go for the game we did not have the punch that we need. It is a shame, but it is the reality.

At this point in the season, in which we are starting and the players do not have the required competition rhythm to endure 90 minutes, it's logical and normal. When we had to modify the game we had to use young players like Otorbi, Martín Tejón and Dani Gómez, and that's the reality we have.

What I saw today is that all my players gave their all. I congratulated them at the end of the game because they gave everything they had, but against a team like Barcelona we didn't get given anything. Until we had energy the team competed well in general terms

Message to the dressing room

There is a psychological factor that influences things. If you play a complete first half, continue to be better than Barça, you can go 2-0 up or it becomes 1-1. Then those little details, like the action for the penalty -which was strange because there was not much contact and it was clear that there was no intention of conceding a penalty-, the action that could have been a second yellow card… these are things that make the game difficult for you and in the final half it was tough for us. We have to acknowledge things and be honest. This is our reality.

The refereeing

It's all about interpretation. The referee in the first half had an action with Jesús in which he gave him a yellow card after a delay, which he remembered and gave it, and then this action by Cubarsi. It's a clear action for a second yellow card from my point of view. In the action for the penalty Mosquera doesn't see him, and the player was waiting for the contact. These are the things that could make you stay in the game. I am sure I made more mistakes than the referee.

Mestalla

The fans wanted us to have some chances in the final stages that we have not been able to generate. While we had the energy, Mestalla was with us and in the final stages it is something that we have to improve. The Valencia CF fans will have the feeling that the team gave everything, but sometimes things do not go as one wants.

Adapting players

Last year when I talked about several players, we were missing some. Then Canós, Amallah and Yaremchuk arrived, and now we have 20 players with Fran Pérez and Sergi Canós out due to injury and we are looking to improve. I focus on what I have to do, the competition and making the team competitive, making the players face the games with confidence. There are other things that are not my responsibility. I know that we are in a difficult moment for the club, I know that and we have to navigate this difficulty.

I am a positive and optimistic person and I think that, with hard work and the players wanting to be here and wanting to compete, we can work and do things. That is the will that I have and it is my ambition. Then there are some parameters that I do not control, which are the economic ones. I dedicate myself to getting the most out of everything I can and to transmitting to the players that in difficult situations we have to overcome them.

Foulquier already played as an inside midfielder last year and he is a player who has energy and strength and at this moment we need, if we don't have players for that position, to adapt players and look for performance from them, as we have also done with Rafa Mir in that position of a number 7. It is my job and that is what I am doing.

The full stadium

We need to win again at Mestalla and hopefully we can do it in the next game here, but now we have two away games and we have to think about those games. We need Mestalla because they are the ones who support us in difficult moments. These players need to feel the affection of the fans if they make a mistake.

The result got away from us but the team competed with everything we have.