Robert Lewandowski was the star performer for Barcelona as they signed off for the international break with a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves.
The forward scored an impressive brace to help his team gain all three points and maintain their fight for the league title.
Speaking after the game, Lewandowski appreciated the win but was not happy with Barcelona’s performance on the night.
Lewandowski & Martinez on the win
“Happy with the win and the goals, but we did not start well. We conceded an early goal. We are Barca and we must give our best,” he said (h/t FCB World).
“In this match, we knew how to come back, and we must be more mentally prepared. I am sure that we will come back stronger physically and mentally after the break,” he added.
Similar words were echoed by Inigo Martinez, who acknowledged the team’s defensive lapses.
“Alavés made the game difficult for us from the first half. Their goal came again in less than a minute. Once again we made the same mistake as against Granada or Real Sociedad,” he said (h/t Diario SPORT).
“We knew they were going to close behind and we also knew Samu, who is very powerful, strong and does a lot of damage in space. There were some mismatches in defence at the beginning which created a lot of problems for us,” the defender further explained.
“In fact, they had a couple of chances that luckily they didn’t score, and in the end, that’s what football is about. By insisting and fighting we have been able to take the game in the second half. This is a team and the important thing is to fight until the end,” he added.
While Lewandowski scored the brace, it must be mentioned that Inigo Martinez was one of the better performers on the defensive side of things, especially against a side which caused a lot of problems.
Talking about Barcelona’s overall performance, Lewandowski acknowledged that the team did improve in the second half.
“In the second half we played better, we advanced more on the opponent’s field, and the first goal I scored was thanks to Kounde, who was close to the opponent’s area. We tried in the first half, but we found it difficult, and we had to find spaces and score goals,” he said.
The road ahead
Following the win, the Pole is now hopeful of improving, especially if Barcelona can address the team’s ongoing problem areas.
“Everyone has to think about how he can improve, and prepare themselves well for the match. I think we are all working hard so that we can be better physically and play strong. We have to change some things, and play well,” he said.
Inigo Martinez, too, acknowledged the need to improve things and most importantly, stay together as a team.
“The team should not focus on what is said outside. Here, we are who we are and we have to be united at all times,” he said. “The team has moved forward in very difficult moments by going behind on the scoreboard and we have to stay with that.”
“We have to improve many things and we must not allow the rival so much, especially playing at home where we have to feel comfortable and strong,” he added.
Finally, the former Athletic Club defender pointed out that the most important thing is to end the season on a strong note.
“But here, everyone plays and the important thing is to get the games going because when the season ends no one remembers if you have played good or bad games,” he concluded.
