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"Barcelona" coach Gerardo Martino did not pay attention to the unusual fact recorded in the match with "Rayo Vallecano" - for the first time since May 2008, the Catalans allowed their opponents to control the ball longer. This was soon noticed by the biggest Spanish newspapers published in both Barcelona and Madrid, as well as many football analysts. "The statistics are presented after each match, but now I don't give much importance to such factors. It will be important only at the end of the season. Also, it should not be forgotten who we played against. In the last season, the match against "Rayo Vallecano" unfolded similarly, and this is a team that last year only lagged behind "Barça" in ball possession," described the match G. Martino. According to the coach, he is somewhat surprised by the observations that "everything is changing in the team." "It's strange to hear such talk. Last season, the team on average had possession of the ball 66 percent of the time. Now it's 65.8 percent. Do those 0.2 percent already give the right to talk about changes?" shrugged the Argentine. The coach did not hesitate when asked about possible criticism of Barcelona's game, although the team has so far won all five matches in La Liga and started victoriously in the UEFA Champions League. "I regret nothing and I'm not disappointed by anything. When the team reaches such a peak of perfection, where "Barcelona" has been in recent years, it is completely understandable that sooner or later there comes a period when criticism is unavoidable. On the other hand, I think that I would avoid criticism or be criticized less if I were from the Netherlands or had worked at La Masia academy before. Many are now surprised that "Barcelona" players make a lot of high and long passes, but I have talked about this before. For some reason, it is forgotten that Rafael Marquez played like that. If you want, we can look back at even earlier times and remember Ronald Koeman," pondered "Tata" Martino. On Tuesday, "Barcelona" will meet San Sebastián's Real Sociedad team at the Camp Nou stadium. The coach confirmed that midfielder Cesc Fabregas will not be registered for the match, while Sergio Busquets, who missed one match and had the chance to rest, has been included in the lineup. "When you have three Spanish national team players in the center of the field who can play together in some matches, you want the players to be rested, in good shape, and ready to play the most important matches throughout the season. Such decisions will be made in the future as well. Everything is determined by the time the players spend on the field," explained G. Martino his decision.
