It has been a break, in general terms, with little Barca prominence: only seven first-team footballers have traveled with their teams
We review, one by one, the performance of Gavi, Balde, Ter Stegen, Christensen, Lewandowski, Kounde and Franck Kessie with their respective national teams
It has been a break, in general terms, with little prominence of the barca. From the decrease of culés in the first call of Luis de la Fuente as Spanish coach to the injuries of Ronald Araujo either Frenkie de Jongwhich have forced them to stay in Barcelona, the culé team has had few representatives in the international commitments disputed in recent days.
In total, seven FC Barcelona footballers have defended the shirts of their countries in the break at the end of March: Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Marc-André ter Stegen, andreas christensen, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Franck Kessie. We review, one by one, the performance of the Barcelona players with their national teams.
Alejandro Balde (Spain)
The left back was the ‘chosen’ to occupy the left lane of the Spanish defense at the start of the new era, in the victory against Norway with a better result than sensations (3-0). He started and completed the match. He did not play for a minute, however, in the second game of the new ‘Red’. The national team missed him in the defeat against Scotland.
Balance: 1 game / 90 minutes.
Gavi (Spain)
The Los Palacios and Villafranca midfielder was also in the game against Norway, although he was substituted before the hour of play. He came off the bench against the Scottish team. He played 11 minutes, but could not avoid defeat. Since his senior debut in October 2021, his participation numbers are spectacular: he has played in the 19 appointments that the ‘Red’ has faced and has started 15 of them. Present and future.
Balance: 2 games / 69 minutes.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Germany)
Manuel Neuer’s injury allowed him to defend the Teutonic goal in the friendlies against Peru and Belgium. In the first he was not beaten (2-0), but in the second he conceded three goals (2-3). It should be remembered that the German team does not participate in the qualifying phase for the 2024 Euro Cup, having secured its presence as host of the tournament.
Balance: 2 games / 180 minutes / 3 goals against.
Andreas Christensen (Denmark)
Bad luck for the defender. After a spectacular start to the year 2023 with FC Barcelona, he came to the break as a very important piece of the Danish team’s backbone. He started in the duel with Finland (3-1), but he had to retire shortly after quarter of an hour into the game due to an injury to the soleus of his left leg that will keep him away from the playing fields between three and four weeks.
Balance: 1 game / 18 minutes.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
The Polish striker is not going through his best moment in the subject of the goal. Neither with Barça nor with his team. He played every minute of the games against the Czech Republic (3-1 defeat) and Albania (a 1-0 victory), but could not ‘dunk’. he has averaged 47 interventions, 3.5 shots, 16.5 passes (72%), one recovery, six games won and one clearance for compromise. Good numbers, despite the absence of targets, for the Barca striker.
Balance: 2 games / 180 minutes.
Jules Kounde (France)
The current runner-up in the world has started her journey towards the 2024 Euro Cup very well. They thrashed the Netherlands at home (4-0) and stormed Ireland with a 1-0 win. Kounde started and played 90 minutes in the first game. He only had nine minutes in the second. In both he played right back. Although he is central and performs much better in the axis of the rear, he is a great wild card for the lane. Both Xavi Hernández and Didier Deschamps have it very clear.
Balance: 2 games / 99 minutes / 0 goals against.
Franck Kessie (Ivory Coast)
The Ivory Coast has ‘squeezed’ Franck Kessie. The hero of the league classic is untouchable in ‘Los Elefantes’ and has returned to play every minute of the break. In addition, the blaugrana midfielder scored a goal in the second battle of the double confrontation against the Comoros (3-1 at home and 0-2 away). two victories for his team, which leads Group H of the qualifying phase for the African Cup with 10 points.
Balance: 2 games / 180 minutes / 1 goal.
In addition to all these footballers, Barça Atlètic and Juvenil A have also been represented in some national teams. Chadi Riyadh he has not been able to debut with Morocco (0′), semifinalist of the last World Cup; Arnau Tenas he defended the goal of the Spanish under-21 team in one of the two matches he played (he ended up unbeaten against France); Alpha Diounkou they played the first leg against Mali (3-1), in the final tie that has given them the classification for the U-23 Africa Cup; in Spain sub-19, finally, Angel Alarcon (250′ and three goals), Ilias Akhomach (270′), Victor Barbera (212′ and two goals), Daniel Rodriguez (174′ and a goal) and Arnau Casas (270′) have had many minutes.