Barca annoyed and frustrated after Celta draw, says Suarez

Vigo, June 28

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Barcelona forward Luis Suarez lamented his side’s 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo on Saturday after the champions twice threw away the lead to hand more momentum to title rivals Real Madrid.

Suarez scored both of Barca’s goals but Celta forward Fedor Smolov and Iago Aspas each levelled for the struggling hosts. Aspas equalised with a free kick with two minutes remaining.

“I’m happy to have been able to help the team with my goals but overall I’m left with sensations of anger and frustration,” Suarez said.

“We feel as though we have dropped two points and there are many things we need to improve. We are giving away a lot of points away from home which we didn’t used to do in previous seasons.”

Barca were trailing Real in the standings due to their inferior head-to-head record but Zinedine Zidane’s side can now cement their advantage and go two points clear at the top should they beat Espanyol on Sunday.

The Catalans were two points ahead when the season was halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic but have won three of their five matches back, also drawing away to Sevilla last week.

Barca’s next match is a testing home fixture against third-placed Atletico Madrid, while Real have a slightly more comfortable run-in, with their hardest match looking like being an away game against Athletic Bilbao.

“We’re feeling very negative because we have lost two more points in the fight for the title,” Suarez added.

“We had our fate in our own hands but now we have to wait for Real Madrid to slip up here and there so overall we are feeling frustrated at giving away the two points today.”

Espanyol fire coach ahead of Real Madrid game

Last-place Espanyol fired coach Abelardo Fernandez on Saturday on the eve of their home game against Spanish league leader Real Madrid.

Joaquin Perez Rufete, the team’s sporting director, will replace Fernandez through the end of the season.

Espanyol said the decision was based on “the team’s performances” and “in hopes of keeping the club in the first division.”

Espanyol is eight points from safety with seven rounds left. It resumed the season with a win against Alavés, then drew with Getafe and lost to Levante and Real Betis.

Fernandez, who had been with Espanyol since December 2019, released a statement saying he was “eternally grateful” for his time with the Barcelona club.

Fernandez’s assistants also were relieved of their duties.

Fernandez was the second coach fired since the Spanish league resumed, following Rubi’s dismissal from Real Betis last weekend. — Reuters, AP