Leganes manager insists his team outperformed Barcelona despite defeat – ‘We were better’ | OneFootball

After Leganes suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Barcelona, their manager Borja Jimenez did not hold back in his post-match assessment, boldly claiming that his side were the better team on the night.

While the scoreboard favoured the Blaugrana, Jimenez insisted that Leganes deserved more for their effort and performance.

Speaking after the final whistle, the Leganes boss was asked whether he was leaving the stadium disappointed. His response was emphatic:

“Yes, I’ve said it before on TV—we were better than Barça. We had better scoring chances and greatly minimised what is arguably the best team in Europe,” he began saying.

Tactical changes for the match

Indeed, Leganes showed tactical discipline and determination throughout the 90 minutes, keeping Barcelona from running away with the game and even creating several promising chances themselves.

Leganes played with discipline. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Jimenez highlighted how their tactical setup had evolved from their previous meeting with the Catalans.

“Unlike the first leg, when we started with a five-man defence, today we wanted to make that line more flexible, allowing us to give the team more space,” he explained.

“They’ve also changed. We were clear that Araujo should start the game. In De Jong, they’ve brought in a player who can drive things well. The lads have done a lot of work.”

His remarks show clear pride in his team’s preparation and execution, particularly in limiting the effectiveness of players like Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong, who had been introduced to bolster Barça’s structure.

Inigo Martinez’s incident

When pressed about the controversial moment involving a possible handball by Inigo Martínez inside the box—a decision that was not whistled and sparked some debate—Jimenez took a diplomatic stance:

“I’m not talking about the refereeing issue… the club has already expressed its opinion and I’m going to death with the club,” he said.

Leganes’ performance might not have earned them points, but it certainly drew admiration for the courage they showed.

Source: AS