Eric García did not hide his frustration at the end of the match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, which resulted in a humiliating 4-0 defeat for the Catalans in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The defender, who was sent off, lamented the long stoppage for the review of a disallowed goal by Pau Cubarsí, but still held onto hope for a turnaround at home. The loss at the Metropolitano was a heavy blow for the Blaugrana dressing room, as they failed to 'translate on the pitch what they wanted,' according to the central defender himself. The player, who will miss the second leg at Camp Nou, admitted that the team struggled to cope with the opponent's counterattacks. Despite the unfavorable result, the player is already looking ahead to the game in Catalonia. 'There are 90 minutes left at home, with our fans, and I believe we have the squad and team to turn this result around. With the help of the fans, we will be able to,' he stated confidently. Eric García raised his voice when commenting on the refereeing, specifically targeting the semi-automatic offside technology. 'It seems to me a disgrace that the game is stopped for six minutes to decide whether it is offside or not, having the semi-automatic. An offside that is not visible. We have already complicated our situation, and now this is added. We know who we are playing against, and we have to keep going,' he vented. Regarding his expulsion, the defender explained that he slipped and that the opponent also hit him, expressing surprise that VAR analyzed his incident and not a challenge by Giuliano on Balde. Nevertheless, Eric García believes the team can learn lessons from the setback. 'I think this is something that has to serve us. We are a young squad. We have experience, but we still lack some. A game like today is a good wake-up call for us to keep improving,' he concluded.
Barcelona Copa del Rey remains central to this story.
Barcelona Copa del Rey remains central to this story.
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