Malcom shines in absence of other Barca stars
BARCELONA • Malcom has struggled for game time at Barcelona since his €42 million (S$64.6 million) move from Bordeaux last July as he finds himself behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele, and Philippe Coutinho in the pecking order.
But, with Messi only fit enough to come on as a substitute, Dembele missing through injury, and Coutinho struggling badly for form, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde decided to give the Brazilian winger a rare start in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
And the 21-year-old turned out to be Barca's liveliest player, curling home the equaliser in the 57th minute after Lucas Vazquez had fired Real ahead in the sixth minute.
Malcom has made just one start in the LaLiga this season, although he has featured in all five Copa del Rey matches. Despite finding regular football hard to come by at Barca, he insisted that patience is the key.
"I've always been calm, just like when I arrived. I have friends who give me confidence, I have family, agents all fighting for me and also my teammates. I have a lot of support," he said. "I have not played much recently, but I'm more confident. I will work hard to improve and play a little more."
When the two teams last met in October, Real were thrashed 5-1 by Barca at the Nou Camp, bringing an end to Julen Lopetegui's spell.
Wednesday's performance was a distinct improvement and showed just how far Santiago Solari's side have come in a little over three months. The Argentinian was pleased with his team's performance and thought they might have snatched a victory.
"It's hard to talk about justice in football. We had chances to score in the first and second half, but what will stick with me is that it was a precise game, very entertaining," he said.
"Both sides have the chance to go through," added Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who made good saves from Suarez and Malcom.
"It was a good game. Everyone in the team worked hard when we needed to and we played well too."
The second leg will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Feb 27.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 08, 2019, with the headline 'Malcom shines in absence of other Barca stars'.
Malcom shines in absence of other Barca stars
Copa del Rey Match Report for Barcelona v Cultural Leonesa on 5 December 2018, includes all goals and incidents. Have your say on the game in the comments.
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