Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that he would have to go back to the drawing board after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Getafe.
Frank Rijkaard ponders for a solution to the troublesome away form of Barcelona
MADRID: Six away points from a possible 18 is not good enough for a team with title aspirations and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that he would have to go back to the drawing board after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Getafe.
“I think we tried to play football our way but once again it didn’t work and it is my job to find a solution to collect points away from home,” Rijkaard explained.
“I have to think of something different for the away games. It could involve a change of system.”
Michael Laudrup was a hero at Barcelona after helping them win the 1992 European Cup but the now-Getafe coach put past feelings aside to mastermind a sensational win over ten-man Barcelona.
Barcelona could have replaced Real Madrid at the summit but fell to their second defeat of the season with Manu del Moral (27) and Juan Albin (90) on target.
Substitute Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off for a wild challenge late on to cap a miserable night for the Catalans who are now a point behind Real having played one game more.
Elsewhere new Valencia boss Ronald Koeman, another Barcelona old boy, enjoyed a winning start in his first league match in charge with his club running out 3-0 winners over Murcia on Saturday.
Ivan Helguera scored first before Spanish international David Villa, returning after a spell on the sidelines, stole the show, bagging a brace either side of the interval.
Valencia are now level on points with Barcelona who have won just once on their travels this season leaving Rijkaard concerned.
“We did not create many chances and the fact that Uche had more shots than our entire team proves that something didn’t work,” the Dutchman said.
“However there is a long way to go in the league and a lot of factors come into play — but obviously if you want to achieve something you must collect points on your travels and so far we have failed to do this.”
It was the first time Getafe, a club that was founded in 1983 and is enjoying only its third season in the top division, had defeated the mighty Barcelona in the league and the result will please their old boss Bernd Schuster.
Schuster, now in charge of Real Madrid, will hope his side can capitalise on Barca’s slip and victory over Mallorca on Sunday would see them move four points clear.
All the pre-match talk had been of Barcelona enacting revenge over Getafe with last season’s cup semi-final still at the back of their minds.
Leading somehow lost the return leg 4-0 and Getafe, then under the management of Schuster, progressed to the final.
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