Willy Caballero sympathises with fellow keeper Claudio Bravo over error
Willy Caballero admits he could have got into the same mess as Claudio Bravo in Manchester City's Champions League thrashing at Barcelona.
Caballero, the second-choice goalkeeper, had to come off the bench in the second half of the Lionel Messi-inspired 4-0 defeat at the Nou Camp after Bravo was sent off for handling outside the area.
Bravo got stranded outside his area and batted away Luis Suarez's attempted lob after miscuing a pass straight to the former Liverpool striker.
But the Chilean, on what proved a dismal return to his former club, had been carrying out the instructions of manager Pep Guardiola to operate as a sweeper when he blundered and Caballero sympathised.
He said: "We take the decisions in small seconds and in this case Claudio tried to keep playing, as we usually do. Unfortunately the game switched to the side of Barcelona.
"Maybe I would have tried to do the same because our way now is to keep the ball and try to play, but we are different keepers. Nobody knows what is the best decision.
"We need to react now. After this big defeat we need to be compact, be together, show a good reaction for the staff, team-mates, the people that came to Barcelona to watch the game and for the rest of the fans at home against Southampton."
"We did not have the fortune @FCBarcelona had."
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 19, 2016
🎥: @willy_caballero on #FCBCity 👉 https://t.co/nFZAZkGDLX #mcfc pic.twitter.com/VPaY65DSd6
Caballero will now get a chance when Barca travel to the Etihad Stadium as Bravo sits out the next round of Group C fixtures in a fortnight through suspension.
But Guardiola otherwise will keep faith with Bravo after immediately backing his keeper and defending his desire to play out from the back after the game.
Guardiola also stood by his surprising decision before the game to leave out star striker Sergio Aguero in a bid to stifle Barca's attacking threat with a stronger midfield.
That was to no avail on what proved a harrowing return to the Nou Camp for the former Barcelona boss and Bravo, who joined City from the Catalan giants just two months ago.
City fell behind to a first-half Messi strike but were holding their own when the game turned decisively away from them with Bravo's error.
That opened the floodgates with Messi adding two more to complete his 37th club career hat-trick before winning a penalty. Caballero managed to push away Neymar's spot-kick but the Brazilian was not to be denied as he added Barca's fourth in the 89th minute.
The result left City trailing Barca by five points but still second in the group ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic.
Caballero feels City performed much better than the scoreline suggested.
The Argentinian said: "I watched the first half - very well played I thought. We deserved another result because we created one, maybe two, chances but we did not have the fortune that they had in the first half.
"After that, in the second half, we started to play very well again but after the red card against Claudio there was too much space for the attacking strikers for Barcelona. It was so difficult.
"I think the most important thing now is to return to winning. We need it and we miss it. We miss wins. We need to win the next game."
