Eric Garcia pinpoints Barcelona’s biggest problem after Levante win: ‘We made the match harder on ourselves’ | OneFootball

Eric Garcia returned to Barcelona’s starting line-up against Levante and came away from the 4-2 victory with a clear warning that they cannot afford to give opponents a way back into matches.

The defender was back after missing the Champions League meeting with Feyenoord through a suspension carried over from last season. 

He also had to play with a face mask following his collision with Rodri at Mestalla.

Barcelona looked comfortable for much of the contest, but two late Levante goals turned what had appeared to be a routine victory into an unnecessarily tense finish. 

Eric Garcia highlights Barcelona’s late mistakes

Speaking after the match, Garcia admitted the conditions had made the game difficult, but felt Barça had contributed to their own problems.

“The time of day, the heat and the pitch weren’t helping either us or them… It’s a difficult ground. The manager told us they hadn’t lost here since March. 

“I think we made the match harder on ourselves than it needed to be. 

Eric Garcia pointed towards Barcelona’s defensive mistakes. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“We need to learn from this – if you give any opponent a bit of breathing space, they’ll come right at you,” he said, as per Mundo Deportivo.

One of the incidents involved Xavi Espart, with Hansi Flick accepting responsibility for not replacing him sooner after his mistake. 

Pau Cubarsi and Marc Bernal were also unable to deal decisively with another situation, allowing Levante to reduce the deficit.

“These are mistakes we know we can avoid. Overall, we played a good match. We can be pleased,” added the defender.

Eric backs Espart despite costly error

Espart’s mistake came against the backdrop of an encouraging evening personally, as he scored his first goal for Barcelona’s first team. 

Garcia was keen to focus on the bigger picture and praised the confidence Flick is showing in the youngster.

Barcelona allowed Levante to score two late goals. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

“The manager is showing that he has complete confidence in him and he’s responding. He’s playing very well and we have to be very pleased. He has to keep working hard,” he said. 

“The team stands out in the competition for places in every position. Nobody can afford to rest on their laurels,” he added.

Barcelona’s forwards provide the cutting edge

Garcia also pointed to one of Barcelona’s defining strengths. 

The squad has plenty of players capable of progressing possession from deep, but the defenders know where the decisive quality lies.

“We feel comfortable on the ball; we have midfielders and defenders who can play the ball very well. 

“Up front, we have animals, beasts, who can cause a lot of damage when they get into space,” he concluded.