Jules Kounde praises Barcelona goalkeeper for MOTM display vs Espanyol: ‘Peak of confidence’ | OneFootball

Barcelona racked up their ninth consecutive La Liga win last night as they took down Espanyol in a gruelling battle.

The hosts were perhaps even the better side in certain parts of the game, but some heroic goalkeeping by Joan Garcia and the right substitutions by Hansi Flick helped turn the tide around.

Eventually, goals from Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo sealed the win, the three points, and the derby bragging rights.

Kounde speaks out

Jules Kounde spoke out about the importance of the win after the game last night and stressed how vital the team’s performance and result were.

“Very important to win. We are happy. It was a very even derby, and they made things difficult for us.”  

“They have a very good team, they know how to stick together, and they’re good at transitions, and in the end, the players who came off the bench did a fantastic job with the goals and decisive passes,” he added.

Kounde showered special praise on the Barcelona goalkeeper. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Handing a special mention to the man of the moment – Joan Garcia – Kounde said,

“And also Joan must be mentioned, who was very crucial with his saves. He’s a very calm person, he prepared for his match just as he prepares for any other match, extremely meticulous.”  

“He’s a person, as I said, calm, and at the peak of confidence, and he’s following the same approach he’s been delivering since the start of the season,” he added.

Praising the team for how they overcame the hurdles and took all three points against a determined Espanyol, the defender said,

“I think the team showed strong character, because it’s true that we struggled; we allowed chances to the opponent, but we didn’t give up, we always strive to win the matches.”

“In the last 10 or 15 minutes, we managed to score those goals, and in the end, sometimes that’s what it takes.”

He also spoke on the importance of the win in the bigger picture.

“We’re putting pressure on those chasing us. It’s important to start the year with an away derby win again.”  

Towards the end of his interaction, Kounde poked some fun at Joan Garcia while conveying a crucial message that the team must defend better.

“We realize that there are a lot of things that need to be improved because we didn’t want to see Joan García having to work too much.” 

Finally, he gave his thoughts on the upcoming Spanish Super Cup.

“The Super Cup? The chance to win a title in January is a big deal… I think since I arrived at the club, every time we’ve won it, things have gone well for us afterwards, and it gives us a boost.”

Source: Barça One