Rodri has warned Barcelona they still need to improve defensively despite their remarkable start under manager Hansi Flick.
Barcelona extended their perfect record for the campaign with a 4-1 comeback victory over Galatasaray in Istanbul. The result was their 10th consecutive win in all competitions and took their goal tally for the season to 43.
Joao Cancelo, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi scored for Barcelona as they overcame conceding the opening goal to claim another convincing victory.
The victory keeps Barcelona at the top of both La Liga and the Champions League standings. Their form has established them as contenders for both trophies, although Rodri believes there are still areas of their performance that require attention.
Speaking after the match, Rodri said the team must manage difficult periods more effectively, particularly when opponents can attack quickly after winning possession.
“Perhaps today I was trying to tell them to attack more slowly because, ultimately, if you lose possession, they’ll break quickly,” Rodri said, according to SPORT.
He also pointed to the dangers Barcelona face in European competition, saying Galatasaray’s early opportunity should serve as a warning.
“We know that when we play in Europe there are certain things we need to watch out for. For example, their first chance went in. We need to improve in that respect, and they could have scored a second,” he said.
Rodri felt the most important lesson from the match came during a spell after Barcelona conceded, when the game became more open and unsettled.
“The message is clear: perhaps during those ten rather frantic minutes we’ve just been through, when we conceded the goal, we need to stay a little calmer. That’s the lesson we’ve learnt today,” he added.
Barcelona will now turn their attention back to La Liga when they face Real Betis this weekend. They are currently five points ahead of Atletico Madrid and six points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table.
The match will give Flick’s side the chance to increase their advantage while maintaining their unbeaten start and extending a winning run that has already reached 10 matches. Despite their attacking output and dominant position in both competitions, Rodri’s comments underline the team’s belief that further improvement is needed.