"Should never play for Barca again", "He needs to go" - Barcelona fans unimpressed by star's performance in 4-2 loss to Girona
Barcelona fans have criticized Raphinha's performance during La Blaugrana's 4-2 La Liga defeat against Girona on Sunday (December 10).
Frenkie de Jong (2), Ilkay Gundogan (5), and Pedri (5) created a combined 12 goal-scoring chances between them during the match. However, the attack failed to capitalize on the opportunities.
As a result, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, have come under fire for their latest performance. Against Girona, the Brazilian winger had only four shots on target out of the eight he attempted. Moreover, he took a free-kick, which missed the target and he also missed another good chance to score.
On the other side, Robert Lewandowski's shot accuracy was also 50% and he failed to complete any of his two attempted dribbles along with missing two big chances.
After the match, football fans started criticizing the attacking duo for their sub-par performance. Some fans also stated that Raphinha as well as Robert Lewandowski should leave Camp Nou in the upcoming transfer window.
"Lewandowski should sit on the bench for a least 3 matches. Raphinha should never play for Barça again," a fan commented
"Raphinha, like I said so many times, is not Barca level he needs to go," another user chimed in.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
This season, Raphinha has made 15 appearances for Barcelona across La Liga and UEFA Champions League, where he has recorded two goals and five assists. Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, has played 18 matches, where he has scored nine goals and provided five assists.
Xavi Hernandez addressed Barcelona's performance against Girona
Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has addressed La Bluagrana's performance against Girona on Sunday in La Liga. The Spanish manager stated that his team had a good performance against Blanquivermells.
However, he admitted that his side's performance was not up to the mark in finishing and defending. As a result of the defeat, Barcelona are currently seven points behind Girona and five points behind Real Madrid in the points table. He said (via Barcelona's official website):
"I think we had the better of the game. We created a lot of chances. Without playing badly we picked up a bad result. We have to work on our defending and finishing. We lost because of that. We have not taken our chances and in defense, we paid for our mistakes."
Xavi Hernandez also hailed Girona boss Michel by stating that his work with the team is spectacular. Up next, Blaugrana will visit Bosuilstadion to face Belgian side Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League on December 13 (Wednesday). They have already qualified for the Round of 16 stage.