Lionel Messi needs help from the rest of Barcelona's squad, asserts Ronald Koeman

Lionel Messi needs help from the rest of Barcelona's squad, asserts Ronald Koeman

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Barcelona sit five points behind Atletico Madrid

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Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has asked the rest of the team to help out Lionel Messi as the La Liga giants try and keep pace in the race for the Spanish top-flight title. The Camp Nou side currently sit only five points behind Atletico Madrid but have struggled to win games consistently this season.

While Barcelona were at one stage as far as, ten points behind Atletico Madrid, things have changed over the last few months with the Camp Nou side slowly breaking the gap. They’re currently third on the La Liga table and sit only five points behind the Los Rojiblancos with Real Madrid in second place and three points behind. That has set up an excellent title race with fifteen games left although Ronald Koeman believes that Barcelona needs to pick up the pace.

The Catalan giants have struggled to score goals with Lionel Messi the only player hitting double figures in the league. To make things even worse, Ansu Fati, who has been injured since November, is the club’s third-highest goal-scorer in the league with four. It has seen Koeman admit that Messi needs help from the rest of the team and not from just the senior players. The Dutch coach has asked the younger players to step forward and showcase what they can do as well.

"It's not just up to the senior players to step forward. To give an example, Leo has scored 18 goals. The rest of the attackers, together, have more or less the same amount. He also needs help. The responsibility has to be shared around. Yes, the older players must help the younger players in the squad, but in general it's up to the whole team to step forward,” Koeman said, reported ESPN.

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