Joan Garcia, De Jong react after Barcelona’s 1-1 draw vs Rayo Vallecano – ‘We didn’t deserve anything more’ | OneFootball

Joan Garcia was Barcelona’s standout performer in their 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano.

The summer signing kept Barça in the game with several crucial saves, preventing the home side from scoring more goals.

For more than 65 minutes, Garcia maintained a clean sheet, but he could do little to stop Fran Perez’s close-range finish that levelled the score.

After the match, Garcia admitted that Barcelona did not deserve to take all three points.

“We came here with the intention of winning three points, but we’re leaving with one. Given the way the game went, we didn’t deserve anything more.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted or planned. We didn’t deserve the victory,” he said.

Calling out the mistakes

Garcia highlighted that the draw was caused by mistakes with the ball, something that was also influenced by the pitch conditions.

“We had too many inaccuracies with the ball. On this pitch, they put you under a lot of pressure and we didn’t have time to think,” the goalkeeper explained.

Even though he admitted it might have been his best game in a Barça shirt, Garcia walked away with mixed emotions.

“Yes, well, I would have preferred us to have won. I’m feeling very comfortable. I tried to save the ones that came my way, except for one that I couldn’t.

Frenkie de Jong was not happy with the setting. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“That’s what goalkeepers are for. Personally, I’m happy with my game, but I wanted to win,” he added.

Frenkie de Jong criticises VAR issues

Alongside Garcia’s impressive display, the game also marked the return of Frenkie de Jong to the starting XI.

However, the Dutchman was left frustrated by the technical problems surrounding VAR. For several minutes in the first half, including during the penalty on Lamine Yamal, referee Busquets Ferrer had no access to the VAR monitor.

De Jong expressed his discontent after the match, “I don’t know if it was a penalty or not; I haven’t seen it.

“But it’s a bummer that the VAR didn’t work. First it worked, five minutes later it didn’t, then it did… This isn’t a serious league match. I find it strange.”

The midfielder also pointed to Barcelona’s mistakes in possession as a key reason behind the result.

“I think we had a lot of turnovers, more than usual. This game was a bit chaotic. We made more turnovers than usual,” De Jong concluded.

While Barcelona avoided defeat, the draw showed areas that still need improvement.

Garcia’s heroics were a positive takeaway, but the team must find more consistency if they are to maintain their push for the La Liga title.

Source: Mundo Deportivo