Barcelona’s assistant coach claims the team is having trouble with its hectic schedule

Marcus Sorg, Barcelona’s assistant manager, blamed the squad’s difficulties on a tough schedule that has worn down the players after the team suffered a second straight league loss at home.

After losing to lowly Leganes 1-0 at home on Sunday, Barcelona, who have been having trouble in La Liga for more than a month, now has only one victory in their previous six league games.

With 38 points, they are still in first place, but they are tied with Atletico Madrid, whom they will visit on Saturday, and one point ahead of Real Madrid in third place. Both of their title opponents still have a game left.

Their outstanding start to the season, in which they won 14 of their first 16 games across all competitions, has kept them at the top. Although they have won five of their last six games in the Champions League, they have struggled at home.

“The players have had a difficult schedule, therefore we must take lessons from this experience. The team is not accustomed to this, as we have played a number of extremely tough games in the last few days,” Sorg told DAZN.

After coach Hansi Flick was sent off in their 2-2 draw against Real Betis last week and received a two-game suspension, Sorg directed the club from the sidelines on Sunday.

“This defeat is quite difficult to comprehend. We gave up that first goal in the first five minutes of the game due to a lack of focus, which was the main issue,” Sorg stated.

“Despite not playing well and failing to score, we were still able to create 20 scoring opportunities. When you lose so many chances, it’s hard to win like that.

“We are unhappy with the league’s present performance, but when you’re trying to create a squad, you have to accept things. We’re putting in a lot of effort. Even though we can lose the lead, we’re still at the top.”