The France international managed only one shot in 90 minutes as Ernesto Valverde’s side were beaten 3-1 away from home in La Liga on Saturday <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Antoine Griezmann says he isn\u2019t concerned by his underwhelming start to life at Barcelona, after Ernesto Valderde\u2019s new-look front three stuttered in Saturday\u2019s 3-1 defeat at Levante.<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi converted a penalty to see Barca ahead at the break, but they squandered their spot at the top of La Liga as Levante scored three goals in seven second-half minutes.<\/p>\n
After starting alongside Messi and Luis Suarez but failing to make an impact \u2013 he registered twice as many offsides in the match as shots \u2013 some Barca fans are concerned that their marquee summer signing isn\u2019t settling in well at Camp Nou.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel good,\u201d Griezmann said after the game. \u201cThis also happened to me at Atletico. I have to come in little by little because I am not going to get the tactics right straight away, but I am used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
After joining Atletico Madrid from Real Sociedad back in 2014, it took until Griezmann\u2019s 10th league game for him to find the net with a brace against minnows Cordoba. But once the floodgates opened, he eventually rattled in 22 league goals \u2013 the joint-most of his five-year spell in Madrid.<\/p>\n
But while he may not be unduly worried about his own performances, Griezmann is well aware that for a club like Barca, losing 3-1 at Levante can\u2019t be justified to the fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be a problem of focus that we didn\u2019t start well in the second half,\u201d he added. \u201cWe can only learn and improve.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything can happen in a match, the trick is being able to react to it and we didn\u2019t. We must see what we did wrong to try and correct it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be a problem of attitude. We conceded three goals in ten minutes and that can happen, but we must do everything to make sure it does not happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barcelona have struggled away from home this season, and Saturday\u2019s defeat was their third of the season already on the road following losses at Athletic Bilbao and Granada earlier in the campaign.<\/p>\n
With more recent wins at Eibar and Getafe, Barca looked to have gotten the monkey off their back \u2013 but manager Valverde says they now have to do it again.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not playing the same season at home as we are away,\u201d Valverde admitted. \u201cBut after the first games when we couldn\u2019t win away, we then did it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to keep going, that\u2019s it. We have to analyse it and ask ourselves why it has happened. The criticism is always very strong and we will have to react to it, but it is no different to any other time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barca now have two home games to find their feet again. They host Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday, before a league fixture against Celta Vigo next Saturday.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The France international managed only one shot in 90 minutes as Ernesto Valverde’s side were beaten 3-1 away from home in La Liga on Saturday Antoine Griezmann says he isn\u2019t concerned by his underwhelming start to life at Barcelona, after Ernesto Valderde\u2019s new-look front three stuttered in Saturday\u2019s 3-1 defeat at Levante. Lionel Messi converted … <\/p>\n