Barcelona could well have been the side that went out of the Champions League on Tuesday night at the Signal Iduna Park, if you were only shown the scenes at the final whistle. Raphinha lay exhausted on the floor, stretching his legs. Lamine Yamal cut a miserable figure on the bench, and Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny conversed with serious faces as they walked off the pitch.
While they did make it through to the final four for the first time in six years, manager Hansi Flick admitted he had to remind his side of their success and lift morale. In the mix zone, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong all made it clear they were not happy with the performance.
As reported by MD, there were several lessons learned from their trip to Germany. A frequent theme through their defeats this season, individual errors cost Barcelona, with the likes of Kounde, Ronald Araujo and de Jong found wanting in the goals. All three were accused of lapses in concentration.
Two absences also loomed large in Dortmund. Inigo Martinez was replaced by Araujo, with Flick explaining that he was left out to avoid a suspension for the semi-final, with a yellow card resulting in a ban. Without him, Barcelona’s backline struggled to operate the offside trap as effectively, and lacked leadership.
Unlike Martinez, Pedri was sent on for the final half hour to calm Barcelona in midfield. Despite two aggressive and combative players alongside de Jong in midfield, the Dutchman looked overrun behind Gavi and Fermin Lopez. Pedri’s poise on the ball and positioning off it were immediately noticed after his introduction.
Perhaps the two most worrying concerns that were taken away from their trip were the fatigue and the finishing. The former, a growing worry for Flick, was evident, as Barcelona struggled to press and match Dortmund’s tempo. The latter was also an issue – what chances Barcelona did have, they proved ineffective in the final third. The last two games Barcelona have scored just twice, well below their averages, and both from own goals.
HBKdll
20
From what I observed it seemed that instructions from the coach were to have reduced intensity to avoid injury and exhaustion. Flick really wanted this game to be less strainous and that's why when barca got a goal he instantly subbed lamine and lewa to allow them to rest. It's seems that this team can only perform when they have to go full intensity and are not well drilled for managing the game. Even at the lead of four we were never really calm. This is really concerning for upcoming title deciding matches and we cannot always be doing 100% intensity all games
ZéléSaichis
15
1. Individual Errors Remain Costly – Key players like Koundé, Araujo, and De Jong were guilty of concentration lapses that led to goals. 2. Missing Key Leaders Hurts the Team – The absence of Iñigo Martínez weakened the defense's coordination and leadership, especially in managing the offside trap. 3. Pedri's Presence is Crucial in Midfield – His introduction brought calmness and structure, highlighting his importance in balancing the midfield. 4. Fatigue is a Growing Concern – The team looked tired, struggled to press, and couldn’t match Dortmund’s intensity throughout the game. 5. Lack of Clinical Finishing – Despite creating chances, Barcelona’s inability to convert them is alarming, with their last two goals coming from own goals. Thank you 😊
OluMcCoyIroko
8
These are my concerns, too. Our boys look tired and exhausted. They have literally run out gas in this case, run out of ideas.
LazyGenius001
8
I’m glad the coach sees what everyone else sees and that’s one thing I admire about him. Since he came, he knows exactly what he wants. The lineup last night wasn’t bad but necessary and that’s not his fault. The team was so complacent and thank goodness they did the first job to perfection.. if it had been 3-0 from start, BVB would have taking it all with the kind of motivation they had