MADRID (AP) 鈥� Barcelona needs to brace for some tough times ahead while adjusting to the post-Lionel Messi era.
That message was clear after the 3-0 loss at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, the team鈥檚 first defeat since Messi left amid the club's financial struggles.
鈥淚t is what it is, we are what we are now,鈥� veteran Barcelona captain Gerard Piqu茅 said after the Catalan club was outplayed from the start at the Camp Nou. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a complicated season.鈥�
Looking nothing like the team that used to thrive when Messi was on the field, Barcelona couldn鈥檛 get a single shot on goal the entire match and saw Bayern constantly threaten the other way.
鈥淲e would like to have competed better, but this is what we have right now,鈥� Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 complain about our attitude, we tried our best. But there is a difference in talent and a difference between a team that has played a long time together and our team with lots of young players. It is difficult to accept, but we have to keep working.鈥�
The loss came more than a year after the embarrassing 8-2 debacle against Bayern in the quarterfinals of the Champions League two seasons ago, a defeat that began exposing Barcelona's struggles on and off the field.
鈥淧oor Bar莽a,鈥� read a front-page headline from sports daily Marca on Wednesday.
鈥淭he sad reality,鈥� said the daily Sport.
Koeman, who was hired shortly after the rout against Bayern, said it will take time for Barcelona to return to a top level.
鈥淥ur young players have a lot of potential, in two or three years they will be playing much better,鈥� Koeman said. 鈥淏ut right now, it is what it is.鈥�
Koeman also lost Antoine Griezmann in the transfer window last month, when the team's main addition was Netherlands forward Memphis Depay. The club added veteran Sergio Aguero but he is among the several players recovering from injury, along with youngsters Ousmane Demb茅l茅, Sergi帽o Dest and Ansu Fati. Koeman used 18-year-old Yusuf Demir and 17-year-old Gavi on Tuesday. Pedri Gonz谩lez, also 18, was a starter.
鈥淚 look at the positive fact that we had some 18-year-old players coming into the match,鈥� Piqu茅 said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our reality now.鈥�
Barcelona will have to rely a lot on its youngsters as it tries to recover from dire financial conditions caused by the pandemic and poor management. The Catalan club wasn鈥檛 able to hand Messi a new contract and saw him leave for free to Paris Saint-Germain, one of the main contenders for the Champions League title this season.
There were signs Barcelona fans weren't too optimistic when they failed to buy all tickets available for Tuesday's match, something that rarely happened when Messi was still around, especially in a big Champions League match.
Piqu茅 said it was 鈥渉urtful鈥� to hear jeers from the Camp Nou crowd for Sergi Roberto, who was singled out for his poor performance while playing improvised on the right flank.
Piqu茅 said the next few weeks will be key for Barcelona, a five-time champion in Europe's top competition.
鈥淲e need to win our next matches in the Champions League and stay among the leaders in the Spanish league,鈥� Piqu茅 said. 鈥淩ight now we are not considered favorites but we will see what happens at the end of the season. Chelsea also wasn鈥檛 the favorite to win the Champions League last season.鈥�
Barcelona鈥檚 next match in Group E will be at Benfica later this month. Benfica opened with a 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday.
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Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
