Barcelona will play for the lead on Saturday with Atlético. Whoever wins in Montjuïc will celebrate Christmas first. But if Flick and Simeone’s men sign a draw, they will give Real Madrid the chance to overtake them and close the year on a high by beating Sevilla. However, such a close three-way fight was almost unthinkable six weeks ago. After winning the classic and the derby, in addition to beating Bayern, the Blaugrana had a nine-point lead over the whites – who had one game less – and ten over the Colchoneros. A difference that has disappeared in a flash.
Results
From sky to mud
When he was going more aggressively, Barça suddenly stopped dead. When it seemed to take off to fly and reach high altitudes with the new German trainer, it began to lose altitude and ended up making an emergency landing.
If football is a state of mind, it is difficult to be better than Barcelona at the beginning of November. Flick’s team was packed. He accumulated victories, exhibited football – pressure, verticality and effectiveness in attack and offside to defend himself – and was full of morale after retaliating against Bayern and Madrid, two of his great rivals, one recent and the other historic.
The present smiled upon him after the doubts of a summer in which he changed his mind about Xavi’s continuity and in which only Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor arrived. But the future was very promising, with an interesting schedule to consolidate the cushion while recovering Gavi, De Jong and Araújo for the cause.
It happens that after starting with a lot of energy, exceeding expectations and standing, more than as a contender, almost a favorite for the title, he has relaxed and relaxed against teams that did not seem like big obstacles after toppling giants. Against Real Sociedad, Celta, Las Palmas, Mallorca, Betis and Leganés, far from maintaining or expanding the gap, they have squandered it, winning only one of the last six matchdays (in Son Moix), and now He has his pursuers at his neck. In this period, only six teams have added fewer points: Valencia and Alavés (3) and Valladolid, Espanyol, Rayo and Osasuna (4).
Lewandowski and Raphinha
Two soccer players with a roof
Footballers with a roof. The season of Lewandowski (23 goals) and Raphinha (17 goals) is well above what could be expected from both seeing their career at the club and it was logical that at some point they would show overexertion and lower their initial performance. The 36-year-old Pole met up again with Flick after being singled out by Xavi and that desire to prove his worth led to a directorial ecstasy. For his part, the Brazilian’s captain’s armband and feeling valued by his teammates has given him powers, without forgetting that the dynamic style that the German preaches fits him like a glove. However, whether due to fatigue or having surpassed their ceiling, they will not always be shining and will be able to be decisive.
The bench
Little waist with changes
Hansi Flick conquered Barcelona fans in record time thanks to his unapologetic work, but the management of the changes has opened a small crack in his credit. He has had little ability when it comes to analyzing the games in progress and making substitutions in a very square manner. In the last three games it has seemed that he looked more at the Excel of minutes than at what was happening and needed on the pitch. With 1-1 at Villamarín, Barça had retired Olmo, Raphinha, Lewandowski and Pedri – they finished 2-2. In Dortmund, in the 71st minute, also at 1-1, he once again took Olmo, Raphinha and Lewandowski off the field, although Ferran Torres’ double proved him right (2-3). Against Leganés, who were completely bottled up in their area, and needing goals, they were left without the Polish striker, Olmo and Lamine Yamal, the latter due to injury. Flick, suspended, was not on the bench but did not consider playing with three defenders, perhaps because Koundé and Balde were the most open on the wing. The result did not change (0-1).
The field does not accompany
Leakage of points in Montjuïc
The Lluís Companys is a cold, open field with an athletics track separating the stands. It is difficult to achieve a hot pressure environment for the visitor. In the season and a half since Barça left the Spotify Camp Nou, under construction and without an exact return date, Real Madrid, Girona, Villarreal, Las Palmas and Leganés have won in Montjuïc. Granada also tied and PSG were eliminated from the Champions League. Last year they lost 11 points (almost 20% of the 57 at stake) and this year they have already lost 6 (almost 30% of the 21 possible).
If offside doesn’t work
Most vulnerable defense
Since the 0-4 in the classic, Barça has played 10 games in all competitions and only in one, against Brest, did they manage to leave with a clean sheet (the one against Brest). The team has been weaker when the offside tactic no longer works as much. If the line is not taken well, Iñaki Peña, who has conceded 14 goals, is more vulnerable.
#crisis #coming #Barcelona
