Soccer Football - LaLiga - Osasuna v FC Barcelona - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - September 28, 2024 FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and Osasuna coach Vicente Moreno before the match REUTERS/Vincent West
(Reuters) - Barcelona manager Hansi Flick took the blame for his team's 4-2 LaLiga defeat at Osasuna on Saturday, saying that his decision to rest key starters had an impact in their first loss of the domestic season.
Leaders Barcelona went into Saturday's game on the back of seven consecutive wins to start the LaLiga season but were stunned by an Osasuna side that were lethal on the counter attack with Ante Budimir scoring a brace and Bryan Zaragoza a constant menace.
"You have to accept these defeats. We didn't play very well. I think it's my responsibility," Flick told Movistar Plus.
"(With the rotations) I tried to protect the players, because they have been playing a lot of minutes. But I didn't expect us to play like this.
"We made a lot of mistakes and Osasuna did well. Although in the second goal I think there was a foul at the start of the action, I'm not entirely sure because I haven't been able to see it yet, but that's what I've heard.
"To score four goals against us is too much, but I've told the team that we have to keep going. It's a busy schedule and we are on the right track."
Flick was referring to a challenge by Osasuna midfielder Lucas Torro, who stood on Pau Victor's foot, in the buildup to Zaragoza scoring their second goal in the 28th minute.
The goal was given as neither the referee nor the VAR saw an infringement.
"For me it is a clear foul," a visibly frustrated Pedri told Movistar Plus.
"It's normal to make (team) rotations, there are a lot of matches. It's no excuse. We had to go out with 11 players and the score at halftime penalised us.
"The first half we were not good. We didn't come out to the game well. In the second half we deserved a bit more, but goals came when we were at our best.
"We had to go for the game... after halftime. We had to go for everything and on the counter-attack they hurt us."
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Toby Davis)
