Barcelona’s week went from bad to disastrous last night as they lost to Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou.
The Blaugrana lost everything on the night – their confidence, momentum, lead in the title race, bragging rights, the all-time El Clasico battle, the bid to beat Real Madrid’s streak of winning ten straight games in La Liga and even their long-standing unbeaten run at home.
Truth be told, Barcelona never really looked comfortable on the night and did not appear to be in control of the proceedings at any point.
Los Blancos, despite seeing less of the ball, had significantly better chances, and could well have scored far more. Barcelona improved after the break, but were never really good enough to take home a win, let alone a commanding one.
A team that makes individual errors directly leading to goals, after all, cannot survive against an opposition who have everything to lose. And that was the difference between Real Madrid and Barcelona – the hunger to win.
Barca Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid.
The midfield dies when needed the most
Barcelona’s season to this point has largely been headlined by the control they have maintained over games. With Rodri’s arrival, the Catalans’ ability on the ball seemingly improved significantly, and there was always a clear idea that their midfield was far superior to Real Madrid’s.
Last night, however, the tables turned around in the worst manner possible. The same department seen as Barcelona’s greatest strength failed to turn up, and Real Madrid ran over the Catalans, pinching them where it hurt most.
From the get-go, Barcelona had simply. No form of control over proceedings. Possession did not translate to stability, and the pressing structure did not lead to any control.
Pedri had a very poor game by his standards, barring his pass to Raphinha for the goal, and Rodri also left the game with a feeling that he could have done a whole lot more.
Their individual performances and numbers may not have been poor, but the big nights like El Clasico are the nights when Barcelona need their biggest stars to step up with statement performances, especially when there is no doubt that they are technically far superior.
Hansi Flick rested the midfield against PSG, handing both Pedri and Rodri significant time off, and it now appears that the decision to do so has not yielded anything. If anything, in fact, it has only served to see the team lose twice in two games.
Individual errors cost Barcelona
Let’s not deceive ourselves, Real Madrid deserve credit for how they managed the Clasico, coming into the game as the relative underdogs and playing at the Spotify Camp Nou.
They may have sat back and defended deep, but they came with a plan and executed it to perfection – all of which Barcelona lacked last night. They neither seemed to agree on a single plan, nor were they nearly as committed to the objective at hand.
Individual errors highlighted Barcelona’s defeat to PSG midweek, and there was already a sense of despair that the team was physically declining and slowing down. The manager admitted it and pushed it over, citing the Clasico and backing his side to be preserving energy for that game.
Last night, however, there was a lack of commitment across the field, leading to individual errors which Real Madrid gladly capitalized on.
A lot is being said about the defense, and there is indeed a big fault of both Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi. While the former made a direct error leading to the opening goal, the latter’s positioning for Los Blancos’ winner was far from ideal.
Yet, that does not tell the whole story. Barcelona’s midfield let the team down with several individual errors that handed the opponents chances to counter, and even the press from up top did not look as inspiring.
A collective failure, in that sense, led to the Clasico defeat. The defense, being closest to goal, are the easiest to blame and also paid the highest price for their errors, but no player barring Joan Garcia can claim to be free of guilt.
A week that will be remembered in black and white
Starting off the season in stunning form and demolishing Real Betis last weekend, this week was supposed to be Barcelona’s time to announce their arrival to the globe.
Two games against PSG and Real Madrid represented pinnacle challenges for Hansi Flick’s side, and for the first time in years, there was great optimism that Barcelona could come out on top in both games.
The PSG defeat arrived first, and while it came as a tough pill to swallow for fans, a sense of reconciliation soon set in that the Clasico was the priority for the manager and the players.
Losing the Clasico as well last night leaves fans with more questions than answers once more. All that is clear at this point is that the week has undone all the optimism the past two months have generated, and Barcelona suddenly appear to be the same side as in previous years.
The week that was supposed to be the most beautiful week for fans and players can now be seen only in black-and-white with no reason to keep any sense of optimism.
Where do Barcelona go from here? How does Hansi Flick bring this side back to the same confidence they had at this time last week? Is the manager indeed free of any fault here? Did the players take the PSG defeat as a massive psychological blow? If so, where does last night’s result leave them?
There are, at this point, only questions. And unfortunately, nobody, not even Hansi Flick, appears to have answers.
The post Midfield let-down, Individual errors, disastrous week | Three takeaways from Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid appeared first on Barca Universal.
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