Barcelona coach Koeman relieved: "We needed this win vs. Elche"
Three second half goals helped Barça beat stubborn opposition at Camp Nou on Wednesday
From Sunday's disappointment to Wednesday's satisfaction. Ronald Koeman celebrated Barcelona's 3-0 win against Elche as a much-needed win to keep his side in the title race.
Lionel Messi scored twice to take his tally in La Liga to 18 and Jordi Alba added the third as Barça moved within five points of leaders Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand, and two of Real Madrid.
Koeman praised Barça's second-half performance and sent a message of optimism with regards to winning the league, although he also said his side cannot afford any more slip-ups.
"We needed to win after the last two results," the Dutch coach said. "We played really well in the second half. We have to do better than the first half.
"We were slack in the first half, we didn't have any rhythm, despite the two chances we had. In the second half, much better. With more rhythm with the ball. We also scored quickly, which helped. I was unhappy with the rhythm and what we did with the ball before that. It was all a little slow."
Koeman also purred about another impressive performance from Pedri.
"It's always important for players to play in different positions," he added. "Only the great players can do it. And he is."
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