Luuk de Jong headed home from Adama Traore's cross to make the score 2-2 and extend Barcelona's unbeaten run to three games.
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Barcelona head coach Xavi was full of praise for Luuk de Jong after the Dutchman came off the bench to snatch a point against Espanyol in the derby. Luuk headed home from Adama Traore’s cross from the right to make the score 2-2 for the visitors in the 96th minute. The 31-year-old joined the Catalan club at the start of the 2021-22 season, was initially greeted by skepticism by fans based on his not-so-great goal-scoring record. But the striker has answered his critics by scoring three crucial goals in 2022.
“We need to be more effective”
— Xavi after #EspanyolBarça pic.twitter.com/uvaLhR702w
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 13, 2022
Sergi Darder canceled out Pedri’s opener before Raul de Tomas put Espanyol ahead and then Luuk equalised in the sixth minute of injury-time. Xavi made it clear after the game just how happy he is with the Dutch striker.
“Luuk de Jong is an example and I say that in front of the whole squad,” he said.
“He’s a top professional. He’s a goal scorer and that’s why we brought him on. He’s had two chances and then scored another one.”
Despite the draw, Barcelona occupy fourth place, the final Champions League spot with 39 points from 23 games, level on points with defending champions Atletico Madrid, whom they had defeated last week.
“We were not clinical today and we paid for it. It would have been unjust to lose, but we’re still in a Champions League spot and we have to keep fighting,” he said.
Barca had a dream start to the match as Pedri volleyed home from left-back Jordi Alba’s deep cross to give Barca the lead inside the opening two minutes. But Espanyol leveled five minutes before the break.
Darder’s right-foot curler from outside the box beat Barca keeper Marc Andre ter Stegen and went into the net. The midfielder was given too much space and time to take the shot.
The hosts completed the turnaround in the 64th minute when Darder played a superb overhead ball to pick the run of De Paul, who controlled it on his chest before slotting home past Ter Stegen.
“It was an intense game. They were aggressive in the second half, but we matched them. We created a lot. In the end you think about the point. It’s insufficient. It was a game to win, we lost two points.
“We must be self-critical. We can’t concede these goals. We have to improve. We concede too much.
“For the first goal, we took a risk playing the ball out we did not need to take. The second goal is down to a poor reading of the defensive line. Football is a game of mistakes and we have to minimise them.”
Barcelona are now unbeaten in three games and will next face Napoli in the Europa League fixture on Thursday.
