MADRID, Jan 22, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Ronald Koeman criticised his Barcelona
players for missing two penalties on Thursday as they needed extra time to
end the cup run of third-division side Cornella and reach the Copa del Rey
last 16.
Goals from Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite in extra time sealed a 2-
0 victory for Barca but only after Miralem Pjanic and Dembele had both failed
to score penalties in normal time.
Pjanic and Dembele join a list of five Barcelona players to have missed
penalties this season, along with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and
Braithwaite.
“I don’t understand because normally there are enough players who can score
penalties,” said Barca coach Koeman. “Maybe they are scary, I don’t know.
Several players have failed and, above all, if you score one of the two
penalties, you calm down.
“You cannot miss two penalties as Barca players. It’s not serious.”
Barca were looking for a reaction on the back of their shock loss to
Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, when Messi was sent
off for the club for the first time.
With Messi suspended, a rotated line-up laboured to victory after a third
consecutive extra-time in eight days.
Pjanic missed the first penalty in the 39th minute after Ronald Araujo went
down under a high foot from Albert Estelles, Cornella goalkeeper Ramon Juan
diving low to his right.
Griezmann and Braithwaite both failed to finish early in the second half
and then Griezmann blazed over on the volley after a clever free-kick from
Pjanic.
Another penalty presented a golden opportunity in the 80th minute after
another Estelles error, this time a handball. Dembele stepped up but the
result was the same, his driven effort down the middle again kept out by
Ramon Juan.
Cornella, who beat Atletico Madrid in the previous round, saw their
resistance last only two minutes into extra time as the power of Dembele’s
shot from distance was too much for the keeper, who could only divert the
ball in off the crossbar.
Estelles completed his nightmare night by being sent off before Braithwaite
added a second on the counter-attack.