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Valverde defends dropping Coutinho
Feb 18, 2018
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has defended his decision to drop Philippe Coutinho for their 2-nil La Liga win over Eibar.
With Coutinho cup-tied for their upcoming Champions League clash against Chelsea, he was widely expected to start against Eibar.
However, he was benched in favour of Andres Iniesta.
When asked about Coutinho's surprise omission, Valverde said it was "the best thing for the team."
The the win over Eibar means Barca are 10 points clear at the top of La Liga.
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