Fermin's offside would have been flagged in another match, says Valencia coach

Ruben Baraja highlighted the way in which his team competed on Monday at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys against Barcelona, despite the final defeat (4-2) in a match marked by the sending off of goalkeeper Mamardashvili in first half stoppage time.

"We made a great effort and I can't reproach my players for anything. We gave everything despite the difficulties. The team picked itself up after the 1-0, which was a quality move by Barca. We got back on our feet and managed to turn it around (at half-time)," said the che coach.

Baraja said that, after "a very complete first half", Mamardashvili's sending off condemned them to ‘go behind’ in the second half. "We couldn't stop them, but the response was good. I'm proud of the team's effort despite the difficulties," he added.

The Valencia coach believed that Fermin Lopez was positionally offside in the move that led to Lewandowski's equaliser and, although he specified that he does not feel disadvantaged by the refereeing, he stated that in another game it could have been flagged and that this disparity of criteria leaves him ‘unsettled’.

Regarding Yarek's feature in the starting lineup, a 19-year-old centre-back, Baraja explained that the economic context ‘forces us to bet on the youngsters’. "We have to put them in and reinforce them, give them the opportunity to grow. We have a lot of confidence in him," he said.