FC Barcelona

Antoine Griezmann needs more time to get used to playing at Barcelona before he can find his best form, according to France manager Didier Deschamps. 

The 28-year-old moved from Atletico Madrid to Barca in July for €120 million (£107 million).

The France international's return of four goals and three assists in his first 10 La Liga games for the Blaugrana is decent, but he has looked uncomfortable at times playing for the Catalan giants, particularly as he has often been played on the flanks rather than through the middle.

There are also concerns about the relationship between Griezmann and Lionel Messi:

Griezmann 🆚 Messi

The rift that defines #FCBarcelona's faltering season.#beINUCL pic.twitter.com/iWp5McVzsD

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 5, 2019

Deschamps is confident, though, that Griezmann will eventually flourish at the Camp Nou, explaining it takes time to adapt to a new club, per Patric Ridge of Goal:

"Even if you have great players at Barcelona, it doesn't happen in a day. It depends on how they play, how they work with each other. Also, he's put in different positions than the ones he has with France, even though he played [wide] a long time ago.

"He must fit in, the other players as well. He didn't choose the easiest solution and it's a big club, so the expectations are huge. He's always part of a team, but he's not used to it yet.

"Even when he's not as good, he's always positive for the team. With us, it's a different situation, different position, he can play at his best position where I've put him a long time ago. Of course, he has a very important role in how we play."

Griezmann's struggles are mirrored in Barcelona's form as a whole this term.

On paper, Ernesto Valverde's side are enjoying a decent campaign. They are top of La Liga having scored more goals than any other side in the division:

Who will be top of #LaLigaSantander by the end of Matchday 13? 🔝🤔

🌟 ____________________ 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ZFMPBB7yqJ

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) November 7, 2019

And they head their UEFA Champions League group by a point with two games remaining of the pool stage.

However, Barca go into Saturday's home league clash against Celta Vigo, their last fixture before the international break, without a win in their last two.

They lost 3-1 to Levante last time out in La Liga and were held to a 0-0 draw by Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday:

Barca come up short. pic.twitter.com/HWXwgDHniq

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 5, 2019

After the goalless draw at the Camp Nou, Gerard Pique said Barca would struggle to win the Champions League in their current form.

A victory against Celta would be welcome for Barca, and it would keep them at the top of La Liga going into the international break.

More dropped points, though, and the Blaugrana could find themselves as low as sixth come the end of the weekend. 

Barcelona will look to get back to winning ways in La Liga when they host Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

The Catalan giants let slip a winning position to lose 3-1 to Levante last weekend, before being held to a 0-0 draw by Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Celta lost 1-0 at home to Getafe last time out and have since replaced manager Fran Escriba with former Barca player Oscar Garcia, who will take charge of his first match at the club.

                            

Date: Saturday, November 9

Time: 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET

TV: Premier Sports 2 (UK), beIN Sports (USA)

Live Stream: Premier Player (UK), beIN Sports Connect (USA)

Odds: Barcelona (1-5), Draw (6-1), Celta Vigo (12-1)

Odds courtesy of Caesars

                 

Barcelona have won all five of their league matches at the Camp Nou this season, while Celta are without an away win.

In that case, Saturday's result might seem cut and dried, but Barca were poor in their defeat at Levante in their last league outing.

They failed to impress sports writer Andy West or ESPN's David Cartlidge against Slavia Prague, too:

We tend to over-judge results when we should really be looking at performances. So yes, Barça's last two results were 1-3 at Levante and 0-0 vs Slavia Prague. But when you look at the actual performances rather than the results, you realise things are actually...even worse.

— Andy West (@andywest01) November 6, 2019

Shocking performance from Barça. There was just no urgency or plan. Completely let the game pass them by. Ansu and Frenkie were good however, two of the players to rise above the mediocrity.

— David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) November 5, 2019

Having Lionel Messi in your ranks can paper over a lot of cracks.

The Argentinian already has six goals and five assists to his name in all competitions, despite not making his first appearance of the season until September 17 due to injury, but even he couldn't rescue Ernesto Valverde's struggling side in their last two outings.

Barca will need to improve significantly all over the pitch to be sure of a win on Saturday, though much will also depend on whether Garcia can yield an immediate response from his new team.

Cartlidge and author Colin Millar have not been convinced by his appointment, but La Liga TV's Alexandra Jonson is optimistic he can do well:

Just checked - four of his last five managerial positions have lasted 13 games or fewer. Yikes.

— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) November 4, 2019

So when he now returns to Spain and the football he knows he also brings the knowledge of other, making him versatile as a coach. But football is football so we will see how it goes, but I really think he can be the perfect coach for Celta right now, he suits in so many ways.

— Alexandra Jonson (@AlexandraJonson) November 4, 2019

Celta have won just two of 12 in La Liga this season and lost five of their last six, so Garcia has a big job on his hands to turn things around. 

The arrival of a new coach can often give a team a short-term lift, which is what Celta will be hoping for in this game.

The Galician outfit beat the Blaugrana 2-0 in May, albeit at Balaidos, and it's not out of the question they could get a positive result here.

Slavia Prague goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar was not pleased with Lionel Messi and other Barcelona stars after Tuesday's UEFA Champions League stalemate, slamming their decision not to shake hands with the visiting team.

Speaking to iDNES.cz (h/t MailOnline's James Dutton), Kolar praised fellow goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for his kind words after the match, but he laid into some of the other Blaugrana players:

"He was waiting for me inside the tunnel. He stopped me and said he hadn't seen such a good goalkeeping performance for a long time and that it was a pleasure to watch me play well with my feet.

"He waited for me after the match, which I take as the ultimate award. To hear such praise from such a good goalkeeper, I had goosebumps. It was an amazing experience, but some of the other players.

"Messi and the others just left—some of them didn't even shake our hands. It was sad. We were all looking forward to meeting these big players, we wanted to swap jerseys after the match, but they didn't behave very well."

Kolar was the hero in the scoreless draw, making several excellent saves. By keeping a clean sheet at the Camp Nou, he did something no goalkeeper had done in the UEFA Champions League group stages in over half a decade:

Slavia Prague are the first team to keep a clean sheet against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the #UCL group stages since Benfica in December 2012.

A shock result. 😳 pic.twitter.com/SrJqL1Gd5m

— Squawka (@Squawka) November 5, 2019

Slavia were more than game for the La Liga giants and even had their chances to open the scoring, especially in the first half.

NBC Sports' Kyle Bonn was impressed with their defensive effort:

This Slavia Prague squad is ABSURDLY well-drilled defensively. They seem to anticipate Barcelona’s movement before it happens.

They’ve conceded three (3) goals in 13 league games this season. 3!!!

— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) November 5, 2019

The Barca supporters were more concerned with the performance of their players, however, voicing their displeasure after the final whistle.

Per Ben Hayward of the London Evening Standard, the jeers didn't stop until the club anthem was played:

And even louder whistles at full time, quickly drowned out by Barça's anthem. Come on everybody: "Tot el camp..."#BarçaSlavia #ChampionsLeague

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) November 5, 2019

The Catalans came into the match having lost 3-1 to Levante in La Liga, and pressure has been steadily building on manager Ernesto Valverde all season. Barcelona are tied for first place domestically but have already dropped points in four matches and have not impressed with their style of play.

Their main issues have been on the road, where they have managed just two wins in six La Liga outings, but at the Camp Nou they had been virtually untouchable until Tuesday's outing.

Slavia are seen as the weakest team in Group F of the Champions League, so dropping points against the Czech side could prove costly. Barca remain top of the table with eight points through four matches, one clear of Borussia Dortmund. Slavia are bottom with two points.

Barcelona will return to La Liga action on Saturday when they host Celta Vigo, who are 18th in the league.

Barcelona's Jordi Alba is reportedly facing up to a month on the sidelines after a recurrence of the hamstring injury that saw him miss three weeks earlier this term. 

The left-back had to be replaced at half-time in Barca's 0-0 draw with Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.

According to German Bona of Sport, Alba "suffered a relapse of a hamstring injury" that he picked up against Borussia Dortmund back on September 17, and he could now be out for a month with Barca looking to be "extra precautious."

It is a big blow for Barca. Alba has only been able to start six of the Blaugrana's 11 La Liga games this season, and they have lost two of the matches he has missed.

Alba is a vital attacking outlet for Barcelona. In the past two triumphant La Liga seasons, Alba has provided a combined 16 assists.

That is a superb outlay for a full-back, and his relationship with Lionel Messi is particularly effective:

⚡ Nineteenth league goal of the season for Messi.
💥 Seventh assist for Jordi Alba.
👏👏 WHAT. A. PAIR.#GironaBarça (0-2) pic.twitter.com/4mLvYZ5Yx8

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 27, 2019

Barca have hardly struggled for goals so far this term, netting 29 times in La Liga, more than any other side.

However, they have sometimes been lacking in variety in 2019-20, leading to results like Tuesday's, and Saturday's shock 3-1 defeat to Levante. 

When Alba is in the side, he is an alternative outlet down the left flank and provides opposition defenders with even more to deal with.

In the 30-year-old's absence, 23-year-old Junior Firpo will likely come back into the first team, starting with Saturday's visit of Celta Vigo to the Camp Nou.

A silver lining for Barca is that after the Celta game, there is an international break, meaning one fewer club match for Alba to miss.

Per Bona, his earliest likely return date is November 27, when Barcelona face Dortmund again in the Champions League. 

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said the team will struggle to be challengers for the UEFA Champions League this season if they do not improve their performance levels. 

Pique was speaking after the Blaugrana were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Slavia Prague at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, adding another chapter to what has been a difficult season for the team so far.

Barcelona still have eight points and top Group F, but they face Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan—who are one point and four points behind them, respectively—in their final two group games. Speaking about their display, Pique said big improvements are needed, per Marca:

"We are not playing as we want, but in both La Liga and Champions League we are in a good situation in the table.

"The results are not bad, they could be better, but we must keep calm and improve. Playing at this level, it is difficult for us to win the Champions League. We have had other spells where we were not playing very well, for example under Luis Enrique and then we ended up doing the treble."

Here are the highlights from Tuesday's match, as Barcelona failed to take advantage of their opponents' attacking approach at the Camp Nou:

"[Slavia] tried to play a game that suited us," continued Pique. "We have had chances, but the ball didn't want to enter [the goal]. The results have not helped us out in these last few games, and when you chain two games together without winning at Barcelona, people want more as there are high demands."

Per The Spanish Football Podcast, the Catalan press were critical of the team's performance in Tuesday's stalemate:

Today's frontpages...

🗞️ Sport call Barça 0 Slavia Prague 0 "a sad draw in a bad game at Camp Nou"

🗞️ "Not much Barça" say Mundo Deportivo calling the game "a step backwards" pic.twitter.com/kKP7ueev6p

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) November 6, 2019

As relayed by OptaJoe, it's been a long time since the team didn't find the net on home soil:

0 - Barcelona have failed to score in a competitive game at Camp Nou for the first time since February 2018 against Getafe in LaLiga (0-0). Tumble. pic.twitter.com/8Fwd3HtMTZ

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 5, 2019

Barcelona sit top of La Liga and top of their Champions League group. Nevertheless, they are a team with significant issues at the moment.

Not only do they continue to lean heavily on the brilliance of Lionel Messi, they are also lacking a balance in the rest of the attack, stability in midfield and a settled defence. Against limited opposition in Slavia on Tuesday, there was never any sense of the Blaugrana building a sustained attack.

Unsurprisingly, manager Ernesto Valverde has faced more criticism in the aftermath of the draw, with Spanish football writer David Cartlidge noting the team lacks an identity:

Shocking performance from Barça. There was just no urgency or plan. Completely let the game pass them by. Ansu and Frenkie were good however, two of the players to rise above the mediocrity.

— David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) November 5, 2019

After this draw and the loss to Levante in La Liga on Saturday, the pressure is beginning to build on Valverde and his players. It makes the upcoming meeting with Celta Vigo an important one for the team.

Even so, Barcelona appear to be a long way off challenging for Champions League glory at the moment, and you sense a dramatic change is required if they are to be a force in the knockout stages this term.

Slavia Prague caused the first upset of Matchday 4 of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, holding Lionel Messi's Barcelona to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou.

The visitors were arguably the better side in the first half and comfortably survived after the break. Barcelona dominated possession but created far too few chances.

The Catalans remain the favourites in Group F after collecting eight points from their first four matches.

Barcelona predictably took control of the ball early, but the first real chance fell to the visitors. Gerard Pique nearly turned the ball into his own net after a sharp cross, but fortunately for the defender, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was there to make the save.

Pique made up for his mistake by finding Nelson Semedo with a great pass minutes later, but the full-back couldn't work the ball past goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar.

For all of their possession, Barcelona didn't create much danger, and the Camp Nou crowd soon started to voice its disapproval. Football blogger Warriors of Uruguay was not impressed with the action on offer:

Luis Enrique might have had his critics but Barcelona were brilliant to watch under him.

Under Ernesto Valverde, the Blaugrana mostly look extremely flat and solely dependent on individual brilliance. The team has no identity.

— Warriors of Uruguay (@UruguayanHeroes) November 5, 2019

Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were invisible for long stretches of the first half. The latter hasn't been a smash hit since his move in the summer, and AS' Robbie Dunne wondered about his fit on the team:

Griezmann’s first half touch map. Still not really sure what his role is in this team. pic.twitter.com/4voIxGAASh

— Robbie Dunne (@robbiejdunne) November 5, 2019

Nicolae Stanciu had a half-chance to open the scoring shortly before the half-hour mark, but he had his shot blocked by a team-mate. On the other end of the pitch, Lionel Messi went closest for the Blaugrana, cutting inside before hitting the crossbar.

Messi also had a shot saved by Kolar and there was some late drama to end the half, with the linesman ruling out a Slavia goal for offside.

At half-time, AFP's Tom Allnutt weighed in on the action:

HT 0-0. Messi, Slavia good, Barca not great.

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) November 5, 2019

Messi had the chance to open the scoring early in the second half, but curled his free-kick from close range over the bar. Sergi Roberto went close shortly after, but Kolar was well-positioned to deal with his volley.

The VAR came into play on the hour mark, denying the hots the opener after Messi had played in Arturo Vidal. The linesman raised his flag, and the replay confirmed the Argentina international was offside by the tiniest of margins.

Confirmation that it was Messi's left foot which was offside, and to be fair that is a quite potent body part

— Rik Sharma (@riksharma_) November 5, 2019

Ansu Fati made his way onto the pitch after 65 minutes, replacing Dembele, who was jeered by a section of the fans as he made his way off.

The change didn't improve Barcelona's play much, although the youngster did play in Messi with a clever pass, only for Kolar to make yet another good save. 

Barcelona made a late push for a winner and found two more chances, but both Messi and Ivan Rakitic couldn't find any open team-mates in the box. Slavia did a fine job running out the clock, picking up their second point in four matches.

   

What's Next?

Barcelona host Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday. Slavia will be at home to Teplice in the Czech First League on Sunday.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has challenged Ousmane Dembele to earn his place back in the first-team squad. 

The 2019-20 season has been another one of frustration for the France international, with continued injury problems. Dembele was also sent off in the 4-0 win over Sevilla in October, resulting in a two-game suspension.

The winger is available again, but he was left out of the Barcelona squad on Saturday as the team slumped to a shock 3-1 loss to Levante. Speaking ahead of their UEFA Champions League showdown with Slavia Prague on Tuesday, Valverde said the 22-year-old needs to work hard to get chances, per Rob Lancaster of Goal:

"Everyone always has to earn their place—Dembele is no exception," said Valverde. "When he plays, he can stay in that position [if he plays well], as happens to Ansu [Fati], Luis [Suarez], [Antoine] Griezmann or [Gerard] Pique. When you have your chance, you will have to try to stay [in the team]."

While Barcelona lacked a spark in the final third on Saturday, the main issue in the team was their poor defensive play:

Per ESPN FC, the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia has not been a happy hunting ground for Valverde's team recently:

It hasn’t been pretty for Barcelona when they play Levante away. pic.twitter.com/R5YhGjAa67

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 2, 2019

Dembele was linked with a possible move away from Barcelona in the summer, with reports suggesting the La Liga side were willing to include him in a deal that would have seen Neymar return to the club from Paris Saint-Germain.

In the end, neither transfer materialised, and Dembele was left to fight it out for a place in the forward line in Catalonia. With Antoine Griezmann arriving from Atletico Madrid and Ansu Fati emerging earlier in the campaign, competition for a starting spot up top alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez is fierce.

Throughout his Barcelona career, Dembele has failed to find consistency, meaning he's never been considered a first-team regular. 

As relayed by Goal, when he has been handed a chance in 2019-20, Dembele has failed to offer a productive presence:

Ousmane Dembele for Barca this season:

5 appearances
1 goal
0 assists
1 red card

Can he work his way back into the team? 😳

— GOAL News (@GoalNews) November 4, 2019

Per OddsChanger, overall the Frenchman has spent more time on the sidelines than on the field since joining Barcelona in 2017:

🚑 Since joining Barcelona in 2017, Ousmane Dembele has only played 2881 minutes from a possible 7920 in La Liga. https://t.co/J07LDwsk2r

— 🎯 Tommy's Darts Tips (@TommysDartsTips) November 4, 2019

If he's fit, Dembele will be hopeful of getting a chance on Tuesday. Against mediocre opposition, it's likely Valverde will take the opportunity to rotate his squad, especially given the manner in which the team crumbled on Saturday.

It has already felt as though Dembele has been in a make-or-break position numerous times in his Barcelona career. However, if he doesn't seize one of these opportunities soon and put together a sustained run of matches, it's difficult to see him succeeding in the long term at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said on Monday that Riqui Puig will play for the club in the future amid rumours he could leave the Camp Nou on loan due to a lack of playing time.

Valverde told reporters the 20-year-old does have a future with the Catalan giants, but he stopped short of saying when he might expect a call-up to the first team.

"We have a lot of players in midfield and every time I come here, I'm asked about the ones who aren't in the squad," said Valverde, in his third season in charge of the Blaugrana. "But Riqui Puig is a talent, and it's clear he is going to play at Barca. We just don't know when. He is in a period of development, and the period is in at Barca B is helping him."

The central midfielder is part of the Barcelona B squad and is regarded as one of La Masia's brightest young stars. He made three appearances for the first team in 2018-19 but has yet to feature for the senior side this season.

The Spaniard told reporters on Sunday he has not ruled out leaving the club in the January transfer window, but he would like more chances to make the step up:

"No theoretically, no. I don't close the door, but it's true that I would like to have more minutes. If I don't have any minutes, I will have to make a decision. I'm not training so much with the first team this season, whereas last year I was practically in the first team setup, training with them and going down to play with the B team."

Puig has demonstrated his quality again for Barca B this season with a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw with AE Prat in September:

😱 WHAT A GOAL!!!
🔝⚽ Collado pic.twitter.com/lQRm4W6I2X

— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) September 14, 2019

⚽💥 @RiquiPuig pic.twitter.com/BcZazNIiOn

— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) September 14, 2019

Yet despite all his obvious talent, he faces a tough task breaking into the Barcelona first team. The club have an overabundance of midfielders with Ivan Rakitic, Carles Alena and Arturo Vidal all struggling for starts this season.

Las Palmas are keen to take the youngster on loan in January and have a good relationship with Barcelona, according to Marca's Jesus Izquierdo.

Yet Barcelona may be willing to offload Rakitic and Alena in the winter, and if the duo were to leave, Puig would stay, according to Sport's Juan Manuel Diaz.

Both player and club will be keen for him to fulfil his potential and go on to star for the first team. Opportunities look like thin this season, meaning the youngster faces a tough decision over his future in January.

Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the Camp Nou in January if he does not receive more first-team opportunities. 

Puig is yet to feature for Barca's senior side this season.

Per Goal, the 20-year-old said he and other players in Barcelona's B team do not want to be there long term because they "aspire to play at a higher level."

When asked if he might exit the club in January, he said:

"No, theoretically no. But we'll see. I don't close the door, but it's true that I would like to have more minutes.

"If I don't have any minutes, I will have to make a decision. I'm not training so much with the first team this season, whereas last year I was practically in the first team setup, training with them and going down to play with the B team."

Puig made three first-team appearances for the Blaugrana last season, including two La Liga starts against Huesca and Celta Vigo.

However, in this campaign he has exclusively played with the B team, bagging two goals and two assists in 10 games.

Puig is a cut above many of the players operating at that level, as he showed with his assist for Alex Collado in September:

😱 WHAT A GOAL!!!
🔝⚽ Collado pic.twitter.com/lQRm4W6I2X

— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) September 14, 2019

Barca blogger Kevin Williams is hoping he'll stay at the club:

Riqui Puig wants to succeed at Barça. The club shouldn't lose him by taking that for granted.

— kevinwilliams (@kevvwill) November 3, 2019

A La Masia graduate, Puig is a dynamic and technically adept midfielder with intelligence beyond his years when it comes to influencing a game from the centre of the park.

Unfortunately for him, he has stiff competition to feature in Barca's midfield.

Sergio Busquets and summer arrival Frenkie de Jong aren't likely to be unseated, and manager Ernesto Valverde also has Arthur, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Sergi Roberto to call upon.

Valverde's options have left Puig's fellow academy graduate, Carles Alena, in a similar situation. The 21-year-old played 45 minutes in Barca's opening match of the season and has not featured since.

Rakitic and Vidal, who are 31 and 32, respectively, have been excellent players in their careers and the former in particular has been outstanding for Barca, but their time at the club should perhaps come to an end in the near future.

The pair struggled to deal with Slavia Prague's intensity in the UEFA Champions League in October and neither is at their peak.

The likes of Puig and Alena are more likely to be the future of Barca's midfield, and the club risk losing them if they don't start giving them opportunities.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said on Saturday he is "not thinking of resigning" after seeing his side slip to their third La Liga defeat of the season against Levante.

Valverde was asked in his post-match press conference if he was surprised by his team's display or was considering quitting and made his feelings quite clear.

"No to both of those questions. I'm not thinking of resigning – only looking forward. Everything just collapsed. We didn't start the second half well and we weren't creating any danger.

"Then, although they weren't causing us too many problems, they put two goals past us in two minutes. The third goal after that really punished us. Our opponents play against us as if it's the biggest game of the year and so you need to be able to respond.

"We know what this result means and what it means to win at these grounds. You need to make a massive effort, but my team is used to that. They had a great second half and managed to beat us. We have to analyse what happened and ask ourselves why it did."

Saturday's result will see Valverde come under pressure. Barcelona took the lead in the match from a Lionel Messi penalty but conceded three goals in seven second-half minutes to slip to defeat.

ESPN FC noted how Barcelona have often struggled at Levante under Valverde:

It hasn’t been pretty for Barcelona when they play Levante away. pic.twitter.com/R5YhGjAa67

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 2, 2019

The Catalan giants remain a formidable force at home but have struggled on their travels in recent seasons. They have been beaten at Athletic Bilbao and Granada and drew 2-2 at Osasuna so far in 2019-20.

Ben Hayward at the Evening Standard said the team can be bullied away from home:

Three defeats for Barça in La Liga this season, all away. Looked like Messi might save them, but his strike was ruled out. Feeling remains that FCB can be bullied on the road and without that midfield control, the trend seems set to continue. #LevanteBarça

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) November 2, 2019

Valverde's worst defeats as Barcelona boss have come on the road. The Catalan giants have thrown away three-goal leads at Roma and Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League under Valverde's stewardship which seems to have had a lasting effect on the players.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen told 11 Freunde magazine (h/t Sport's Joan Tura) that the two defeats were not down to "tactical questions" but to "psychological issues" which seem to be an ongoing problem.

Squawka's Muhammad Butt said Valverde is not good enough for Barcelona:

I know no one wants to be "that guy," but Ernesto Valverde is quite simply not good enough. the way he sets Barcelona up, particularly away from home, is quite simply abysmal.

— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) November 2, 2019

Valverde has won La Liga twice and lifted the Copa del Rey since replacing Luis Enrique in the Barcelona hot seat in 2017 but is unpopular with large sections of the club's support because of his dour playing style.

Barcelona's next two games before the international break are both at home, which may offer Valverde some respite in the short term. The club face Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday and then host Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday.