Ronald Koeman had no complaints as Barcelona might solely draw at Athletic Bilbao, hailing his battling facet and Memphis Depay specifically.
Depay scored his first Blaugrana aim quarter-hour from time at San Mames to cancel out Inigo Martinez’s opener and safe some extent.
The Netherlands worldwide grew to become the primary Barca participant to have a aim involvement in every of his opening two LaLiga appearances (one aim, one help) since each Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez in 2011-12.
But Depay might have added to his tally as he squandered one of the best of his three possibilities – valued at 0.24 anticipated objectives – 4 minutes from time.
“I might have scored two objectives,” he advised Barca TV. “Ultimately, I did it with the left.
“I’m very happy to have scored, for having scored my first aim, however disenchanted to not have scored the second likelihood I had.”
Koeman was happy with Depay, nonetheless, including: “He has scored an excellent aim and had an opportunity for an additional. We should spotlight the perspective of the workforce after the 1-0 towards.
“[Depay] has effectiveness, pace, power. He’s an excellent participant, that’s why we’ve signed him. It’s important to have character, right here the demand is best and he takes it effectively.”
Certainly, regardless of Depay’s late likelihood, Koeman prompt Barca would have been lucky to win.
They’d 67.3 per cent of the possession however simply 9 makes an attempt to Athletic’s 16.
“We initially lacked calm and the flexibility to seek out the free man,” Koeman mentioned. “We made errors and couldn’t get out.
“Little by little we entered the sport, we reacted effectively after the 1-0 and in the long run we had been higher. We might even win, however perhaps it will have been an excessive amount of.”
Barca had some points on the again, with Eric Garcia despatched off late on after Gerard Pique had departed with harm.
In a worrying development, that is the sixth time in Pique’s previous 13 LaLiga begins he has did not see out the total match, as many substitutions as in his earlier 111 outings.
However Koeman mentioned Pique’s drawback was “not severe and I hope he might be obtainable for subsequent week”.