There is surely no more buffoonish team in Europe than Barça. The last ridiculous thing was losing against a minor rival who cannot even play in their country due to the war and has had to take refuge in Hamburg. The 1-0 achieved by Shakhtar does not have the significance of Liverpool’s 4-0 or Rome’s 3-0 because it does not remember Bayern Munich’s 2-8. The result can be remedied because the Barcelona fans still aspire to qualify for the round of 16 of the Champions League. The ridicule, however, was equally huge due to the impotence of Xavi’s team after two years of absence from the competition due to being eliminated in the qualifying phase of the European Cup. The nullity is as overwhelming today as its absence was embarrassing yesterday and its fragility was regrettable before when goals like the one at Anfield occurred.
1
Dmytro Riznyk, Valerii Bondar, Giorgi Gocholeishvili, Rakitskiy, Matvyenko, Dmytro Kryskiv, Zubkov, Sudakov, Stepanenko (Ehor Nazaryna, min. 72) and Danylo Sikan (Kevin Kelsy, min. 62)
0
Ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Marcos Alonso (Alex Balde, min. 59), Cancelo, A. Christensen, Gündogan, Gavi (Fermín López, min. 81), Oriol Romeu (Pedri, min. 59), Ferrán Torres (João Félix , min. 59), Lewandowski and Raphinha (Lamine Yamal, min. 59)
Goals 1-0 min. 40: Danylo Sikan.
Referee Irfan Peljto
Yellow cards Ronald Araújo (min. 47)
The score confirms the delicate moment of the Barça team and Xavi. It is not a question of the tournament nor of the opponent but the problem is Barça itself, fighting with the ball and with the game, summarized in Ter Stegen and Araujo. Although the goalkeeper was once again superb, the central defender’s goal did not come in Hamburg, which ended up defeated against a splendid Shakhtar.
Although they dressed in white and tried to be a more recognizable team than the one against Madrid and Real, especially by recovering the figure of the square in the center of the field and dispensing with the third centre-back, the Barcelona that appeared in Hamburg was just as bland , confusing and flat than the one seen in San Sebastián. The stopper was not João Félix, a substitute after being a starter since his debut – 11 games – nor was the solution in the name of Raphinha, who repeatedly lost the ball before reaching the area. Ferran also did not add as an interior player and Marcos Alonso and Cancelo performed worse on the wings.
The backs of the full-backs were a perfect target for Shakhtar’s exits and changes of orientation. Although the Blaugrana took the ball, teamed up in long possessions and put pressure on the opponent’s ball, their attacks never threatened Riznyk. There was no speed or depth, nor imbalance, but the forwards were stumbling on the uneven grass of the Volksparkstadion. Shakhtar’s defense was never stretched and their attack was deployed with harmony and precision because they were always a neat team with the ball, capable of throwing the passing line from goal to goal, difficult to combat from contemplation as Barça intended.
Barcelona got progressively worse until conceding a goal in a wonderful action due to the sense of collective play, Sudakov’s hit on the wing, Gocholeishvili’s cross from the right and Sikan’s header. Nobody pressed the full-back or overpowered the striker in a play that had already occurred previously on the left side when Ter Stegen rejected Matviyenko’s shot after overcoming Cancelo’s coverage. Shakhtar’s football flowed due to the complacency of a Barça team that arrived at half-time without a shot at Riznyk’s goal. Xavi did not touch anyone and nothing changed on the field because after the restart Gocholeishvili was about to score Shakhtar’s second goal.
The full-back overtook Ferran and Marcos Alonso in his run on the right and forced Ter Stegen to intervene. The Barça coach corrected nothing and his team was always surprised by the same play to the astonishment of the Barça goalkeeper. Ter Stegen had to apply himself a fourth time against Sikan before Xavi finally intervened. The coach changed four players at once in an unprecedented decision that expressed the seriousness of the moment for Barça. Pedri, João Félix, Balde and Lamine Yamal replaced Oriol Romeu, Ferran, Marcos Alonso and Raphinha.
Although Yamal stirred up the offensive for a moment, Shakhtar easily broke away from a disorganized opponent, striking short and long with their transitions and irritating Xavi. Barça could not find a way to harm the Ukrainian team no matter how many players it accumulated in the opposite field, to the astonishment of the many Barça fans present in Hamburg. The Barça’s luck depended on the firmness of Ter Stegen on the one hand and on the other hand on the creativity of Pedri or an assist from Gündogan, on an individual play more than on collective football, just as happened in Donosti with Araujo’s goal.
Nobody responded to Xavi’s requests and Barça was consumed with a single shot at Shakhtar’s goal. Although the door to the Champions League remains open after two years of absence – yesterday was worth one point – the situation requires an immediate change of course based on a diagnosis that cannot be guessed by any Barça official.
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