According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona beat Aston Villa in the fourth round of the Champions League, securing an important victory. Goals from Yamal and Raphinha gave Flick's team the three points and took their Champions League tally to 9 out of a possible 12. Beyond the result, however, one detail of the match greatly surprised Luis Carreras.
The former Barcelona player analyzed the match on Cadena SER's "El Larguero," unable to hide his astonishment at what happened after halftime. Rodri had to leave the pitch with calf discomfort, and his replacement ended up changing Barcelona's performance in an unexpected way.
The Madrid-born midfielder was substituted at halftime, and Bernal took his place for the second half. Carreras found it most surprising that Barcelona gained greater control of the ball precisely after losing a player so important to their midfield organization.
"Without Rodri, Barcelona actually controlled the game better. It's truly unbelievable. The team played well, and their pressing was excellent..." the former player said. He went further, though, and summed up his surprise in one remark: "Rodri's situation really stunned me... You have the best deep-lying midfielder, who helps you create these situations and is used to doing so... yet the team controlled the game better without him."
It was also a scenario worth analyzing, as it showed how Flick's team responds when opponents successfully restrict Barcelona's build-up from the back. In the first half, Aston Villa made things very uncomfortable for Barcelona with quick transitions and high pressing, completely isolating Pedri and Rodri, who are key figures in the team's build-up play.
Despite the comfortable win, Carreras also pointed out an area where the German coach still needs to improve. In the former player's view, Barcelona still struggled to control the game after taking the lead.
"When the team is ahead, Flick must control the game through possession: chances will always come," he said.
Jordi Martí shared the same view, calling Barcelona's second half "very complete." He also stressed how important it is to find solutions when the opponent successfully blocks the team's main creative channels.
The analyst focused on how Aston Villa shut down the central areas: "Teams like Aston Villa will cut off our supply line. Everyone is marking Pedri and Rodri. You must have the antidote and a solution to deal with this."