Audio By Carbonatix
Jose Mourinho has questioned Barcelona's mentality after the Spanish side collapsed against Liverpool in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, comparing their defending to that of an under-14 team.
Barca entered the second leg of the Champions League semi-final with a three-goal lead, but were dismantled by the Reds in a shocking 4-0 defeat at Anfield.
Liverpool advanced to the Champions League final at Barca's expense in a 4-3 aggregate win.
After the game, Mourinho, who managed Barca's rivals Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, called out the Blaugrana and singled out Liverpool's fourth goal as an example of their poor mental state.
Trent Alexander-Arnold caught Barcelona's defence napping and his quick corner kick found Divock Origi, who scored his second of the night and the goal that ultimately knocked out Barcelona.
"If you see that goal in an under-14 or an under-15 match you would say, 'the kids are sleeping, the kids have no mentality to play football, the kids have to learn the basics of the game,' Mourinho said on beIN SPORTS.
"But we are speaking about the best players in the world and to concede that goal really shows you a state of mind.
"At half-time I said if Liverpool score a second goal the atmosphere will be really difficult to cope with and the atmosphere was really difficult to cope with.
"But Barcelona have some of the best players in the world. It's their natural habitat to play at that level, it's their natural habitat to play Barcelona [versus] Real Madrid, Champions League final, Champions League semi-final every season."
Barcelona will rue yet another Champions League collapse, after they lost 3-0 to Roma in the quarter-final second leg last season to be eliminated after a 4-1 win in the first leg.
Mourinho believes that Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde will have a difficult job to explain how his side once again failed to protect a three-goal lead after the first leg of a Champions League knock-out tie.
"It's something that's so difficult for me to explain, it's so difficult for me to believe that my team is winning 3-0 in the first leg and we're going to lose 4-0 in the second leg.
"I would like to see Valverde try to explain but I still believe it will be very difficult for him to explain."
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Lebanon parliament votes to abolish death penalty
1 minute -
The rise of AI in the classroom: Balancing technological innovation with critical thinking
29 minutes -
Five arrested over alleged MoMo robbery syndicate in Upper West
34 minutes -
UEW journalism students call for practical media studio
38 minutes -
Beyond certification: How Bawaa the artist is helping young creatives turn talent into opportunity
45 minutes -
The Law 101: Vacation warrants and the role of the CJ (Part IV)
1 hour -
The Law 101: GBA states pure law and convention about Legal Vacation (Part III)
1 hour -
Pray – THE LAW 101: The Vacation Roster dilemma and the reality of Court Recess (Part II)
1 hour -
Trump hid in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say
1 hour -
Inside the Secret Service ‘shell game’ to hide US presidents in plain sight
2 hours -
GEA seeks Gender Ministry’s support for Female Future Programme
2 hours -
Driver beaten to death over misunderstanding at Gomoa Achiase
2 hours -
Bagre Dam spillage: 68 communities in Northern region alerted as Burkina Faso monitors water levels
2 hours -
ECG announces power outages in Central, Eastern and Western Regions on Thursday
2 hours -
THE LAW 101: Tempus Non Currit – Why the sacred silence of the Legal Vacation protects justice (Part I)
3 hours