Gerard Pique speaks his mind: Barcelona are inferior to Real Madrid again
The veteran defender admitted after Friday’s dour 0-0 draw at Sevilla that it will be “difficult” for Quique Setien’s side to hold on to the top spot.
So, it was no surprise to see him admit immediately after Friday night’s dismal 0-0 draw at Sevilla that Quique Setien’s side face an almighty battle with a resurgent Real to retain the Liga title.
“It will be difficult to win this league. We will do everything we can. But from what I’ve seen in recent weeks, it would be a surprise if Real Madrid drop points.” Pique lamented, alluding to the fact that while Barca top the table, Madrid are just three points behind with a game in hand.
The fact that while many supporters thought previous coach Ernesto Valverde was the main problem at Camp Nou, Setien hardly looks like the solution.
It is worth remembering that after Pique spoke out in 2017, Barca went on to win La Liga.
Barca may have won their first two games after the break, against Mallorca and Leganes, but they were troubled at times by two relegation-threatened adversaries. Sevilla were always going to provide a sterner test of the Blaugrana’s title credentials – and they failed it.
Messi, as he so often does now, dropped deeper and deeper in his desperation to provide a creative spark in the engine room – but to no avail.
This was not one of his better games and, basically, if he doesn’t perform, neither do Barca anymore.
All is not lost, of course. This was arguably the toughest fixture the Catalans had left in La Liga. And Pique is probably wrong: Real might well drop points between now and the end of the season.
But he’s definitely right about one thing: it’s going to be difficult for this Barcelona side to win the title.