The coach abandoned any innovation (Marcos Alonso was more of a left-winger than a defender at Giusseppe Meazza and Raphinha played inside left) to return to his roots. With a defense as new as it is unusual because Xavi decided to place the three left-backs that he has on the squad. All at the same time, although only one (Jordi Alba) on the natural side.
Balde was once again the right-back that the coach lost due to Bellerín’s injury, while Marcos Alonso, a winger in Milan, was a left-handed central defender last night. “I think he had never played with three left-backs, if the team needs it you have to adapt” confessed the former Chelsea player. Refugee and happy was Xavi in the first half. Or, to be more specific, in the first half hour when energetic and vigorous football was seen, there were signs of recovery at Barça.
From bad to worse
Although later, and in a very curious way, Pedri’s goal had the opposite effect. He was already emitting negative signals in the final stretch of the initial 45 minutes. Signals that turned into storms in the second half when Barça got out of control in such a way that Xavi was screaming from the sidelines.
The coach wanted to shake up his team, but he couldn’t. Neither with a triple change (Ansu for Ferran; Frenkie de Jong for Pedri; Dembélé for Raphinha), nor with the fourth move (Sergi Roberto for Balde on the right side) did Barça find any stability. Again, as if time had not advanced, the four captains (Busquets, Alba, Piqué and Sergi) agreed last night for a few minutes until Eric García replaced the left-back.
No defense in a disastrous second half
It was a change to defend, anguished as he was because Celta had taken over the game, causing a shocking silence in the Camp Nou, unable to understand the mutation experienced in his Barça, a vulgar team, without criteria to rescue the ball, submitted by Celta to a real shake, although he failed, it must be said, the aim. And he had the presence of Ter Stegen, infallible to support a Barça that has feet of clay.
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A Barça that only makes its people suffer, no matter how much it is the leader of the League. A Barça, moreover, that has lost what Xavi wanted the most. He has lost game. He has lost soccer. He has lost the connection with Lewandowski, who is even seen out of place and displaced.
He has lost his identity, although he arrives at the classic on Sunday at the Bernabéu at the top of the table. But his game invites discouragement because only Ter Stegen survives in the chaos, capable of chaining six consecutive games without conceding a goal. That is, 624 minutes unbeaten.