Ronald Koeman has declared that FC Barcelona need a number nine as they scored just once from 20 shots on goal in a 1-0 victory over Huesca on Sunday in La Liga.
Club captain, Lionel Messi returned to the Barcelona side after recovering from an ankle injury and Koeman opted to play him in attack alongside Martin Braithwaite and Ousmane Dembele.
The trio attempted 15 shots between them but it was Frenkie de Jong who scored the decisive goal, volleying Messi’s chipped pass into the net after 27 minutes.
Koeman, who sent on Antoine Griezmann for Braithwaite nine minutes from time, admitted that he lacks a natural striker to lead the line in between the creative talents of Messi and Dembele.
“I trust each player in our squad,” Koeman told reporters. “But if we choose to have three midfielders there is room for three forwards.
“With Leo we bet on someone with great depth like Dembele, and we have to choose between Martin or Antoine at the top and Martin has done it.
“It’s a nine that we’re missing in these games but it doesn’t mean anything in regards to Antoine’s substitution. We have a lot of games and we need all the players.
“We have said several times, at the beginning of the season, that we need someone at the top to have more competition and more goals, more effectiveness, but this depends on many things.”
Koeman indicated that he believes improving his striking options will help reduce the pressure on Barcelona’s defence, which absorbed waves of Huesca attacks as the hosts sought an equaliser late on at El Alcoraz.
