After Los Blancos provided Barca a brilliant opportunity to extend the three-point gap earlier today, it seemed the La Liga race might be over tonight. However, Barca dropped two huge points tonight, and some familiar flaws have resurfaced. Let’s unpack the situation and discuss tonight’s haunting draw and missed opportunity.
Gavi Shines But no Ruthlessness in Final Third
Pablo Gavi gave Barca an electrifying opener tonight, and it should’ve been the first of many. Instead, it became the only goal scored by Flick’s men, and all of it was because of wasteful attacking. Ferran Torres was undecisive, Yamal was struggling with his wayward final passes, and Lewandowski was a ghost (zero shots on target). It was frustrating!
However, this is not new. Barca has now dropped points in four games despite having 70% possession. That’s because the attackers have lacked clinicality against low-block teams. The Barca midfield was delivering, but the attackers weren’t. This is a warning signal that a four-point lead over Madrid might not be enough.
Flick’s Late Subs Raise Questions
Hansi Flick is known for his fantastic substitutions and brilliant in-game reactions. Yet tonight, the German made a double swap in the 75th minute. He subbed Pedri and Balde in for Fermin Lopez and Gerard Martin. This certainly was not the right move, and culers are questioning this weird decision on social media.
I know the Catalans will face Dortmund shortly, and Flick would want his key players fresh, but is sacrificing a league game good enough for the UCL quarterfinal? Betis sensed this substitution as a Barcelona retreat and literally parked the bus with five defenders. Fermin’s energy gave us hope a few times, but the damage was done by then.
Please Stop this Lamine Yamal
The golden boy, Lamine Yamal, deserves criticism for tonight’s game. I know most culers will say he is too young for these harsh lines, but it must be noted that the 17-year-old has played lots of games with Barcelona at this age. Yamal was extraordinarily wasteful and selfish tonight, and Flick needs to speak with the wonder-kid.
Lamine Yamal is undoubtedly Barca’s best dribbler, but sometimes, he needs to stop doing unnecessary dribbles or flashy moves. He should prioritize passing over dribbles because that’s the Barca way. Tonight, the La Masia star wasted several dangerous chances due to this carelessness and lost the ball 32 times!
Four Points Lead Does Not Feel Safe
Real Madrid’s shock loss to Valencia tonight was a great opportunity for Barca to extend the lead to six points. But the Catalans have only secured one tonight and thrown the opportunity into the bin. A win might have been the first of the few the last nails in the coffin to the title race.
Instead, the door still remains open for Los Blancos. Eight games are left and Madrid still might make a shocking comeback because all it takes is two bad games. The margin for error is gone and tonight’s draw is a big warning for Flick. Anything can happen!