‘We weren’t sharp against Atletico’-Guardiola

(GSM) – On Sunday, Barcelona lost their first match since May 2009.

At the Vicente Calderon, Atletico Madrid beat a weakened Barca who saw midfielder Seyodu Keita limping off the field with a muscle injury which will sideline him for a month.

Barcelona boss Josep Guardiola saw how his team struggled to make an impact in Madrid.

“My team didn’t play well, although you also have to acknowledge the performance of our opponents,” siad Guardiola.

“We’ve lacked the control that helps us play our game. We’ve always been a team that ends up creating chances, and today it’s been harder than normal for us due to the great job that Atletico have done.

“They’ve been very well organised and you have to congratulate them on the victory. We weren’t sharp and we were lacking in our play and in our passing.”

Without a host of key players, this was Barcelona’s first league defeat of the season and incredibly the first time they have been behind in a La Liga match.

“I don’t want to make excuses because of the injuries, as all teams have absences during the the season. This is happening to us now,” concluded Guardiola.