Crisis in Barcelona: Deep Analysis of the Blaugrana’s Fall

Deep Analysis: Barcelona’s Decline and its Prospects

If you find yourself sharing a drink with a Barcelona fan during this international break, and they try to justify the 4-1 defeat against Sevilla, smile, pay for their drink, and make sure they get home safe and sound. Denial is strong in them, fear gnaws at their footballing soul. It’s true, a goal by Lewandowski could have changed the score, and a missed opportunity by Roony Bardghji as well. But Hansi Flick’s team deserved the defeat, which could have been even more resounding in the first half. This defeat, and its forcefulness, had been foreseen for weeks.

Barcelona has played nearly 1,000 competitive minutes this season, distributed across eight domestic matches and two in Europe. Being generous, they have shown a good level for approximately 480 minutes, 48%. This is insufficient performance, unacceptable for a club that aims to maintain its titles and improve in the UEFA Champions League.

The first sign of trouble was seen on the first day. Despite being ahead against Mallorca, who were playing with nine men, the team showed a lazy and complacent attitude. The German coach did not hide his discontent. “I didn’t like our performance, we played with 50% concentration,” he declared. “We need to manage the matches better and be intense, even when it seems easy to beat nine men.”

The team suffered against Levante, and was on the verge of losing by a landslide, but Joan García avoided major problems. Against Rayo Vallecano, they were outplayed and lucky to draw. Flick commented after that match that they made too many mistakes and did not control the game. The phrase “last year we were a real team, but ego kills success” was devastating, and generated speculation about the internal situation of the club. The newly promoted Real Oviedo also put Barcelona in trouble. The 3-1 victory at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium was one of the four league victories in which they had to come from behind. On Sunday, Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda gathered all of Barcelona’s weaknesses, promising his players that the Catalans suffered from a “glass jaw”.

Sevilla crushed Barcelona. Had they capitalized on all their opportunities, they would have surpassed their historical record against Barcelona. The match was closely followed by Diego Capel, a Sevilla legend, who, like many in Spain, is conditioned to think that the “big” teams always win. Capel suffered when Barcelona scored a goal, and when they missed a penalty and a clear opportunity. After the match, Capel admitted that the criticisms were justified. The author of the article, in his first column of the season, predicted that Barcelona would be favorites to win several titles. Now, that prediction seems risky. Barcelona’s problems go beyond football. The team doesn’t know where they will play their home matches. In addition, they miss key players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Iñigo Martínez. Added to this is the tense relationship between the board, the coach, and the squad, exacerbated by the treatment of Marc-André ter Stegen and the constant pressure from the sporting director, Deco, to reduce the financial deficit. The team’s lack of energy and attitude affects its performance. Pedri, after the defeat against Sevilla, acknowledged that the team didn’t know what to do with the ball and lacked intensity and quality. If Flick’s team doesn’t regain its level of pressure, it will have to change its way of defending, or it will say goodbye to any title this season. League statistics show that Barcelona has decreased its ability to recover the ball, an alarming decline. Flick promised that after the break, the team will fight again for every competition. However, unless the team radically changes, shows its fighting attitude, keeps its key players in shape, and values success above ego, more problems are looming.