It was not meant to be for Barcelona in opposition to Atletico Madrid final night time at Montjuic.
The Catalans put up a valiant struggle and performed like true winners however simply couldn’t get previous the end line as they slumped to a 3rd straight defeat at house.
Pedri opened the scoring for Barcelona within the opening half and gifted his aspect the lead heading into half-time. Nevertheless, Atletico Madrid capitalised on their one probability to stage the scores after the break earlier than discovering a late winner within the dying seconds of the sport.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors from the group’s defeat to Los Rojiblancos.
Soccer may be merciless
Barcelona loved the brilliant aspect of soccer at the start of the season and have been thought-about one in every of Europe’s most daunting sides because the assault barely missed any probability to attain.
The forwards led the group from the entrance, changing their possibilities and overperforming their xG time and time once more to show themselves as one in every of world soccer’s only ahead trios.
Hastily, nonetheless, the identical attacking division has turned out to be their largest bane as they merely don’t appear to have the ability to deposit the ball into the again of the web.
Over the previous few video games, the Catalans have been poor in entrance of objective and the defeat to Leganes was the proper instance of a recreation they misplaced just because they might not end their possibilities.
Final night time, as soon as extra, Barcelona have been the higher aspect by far however merely have been unfortunate to drop three factors.
Hansi Flick’s techniques have been on level in opposition to Atletico Madrid as Barcelona dominated the sport to the purpose it appeared one-sided within the first half.
They have been those creating possibilities extra repeatedly and of higher high quality and will have been at the least three targets clear by the half-time mark.
After the break, their dominance largely continued they usually created probability after probability just for every little thing to go begging. Two moments for the Colchoneros, ultimately, noticed the consequence slip away from them.
The defeat final night time can solely be known as undeserved and unfortunate, and it’s clear that soccer generally may be very merciless.
Pedri’s night time of wizardry
No matter the victo and the way the consequence skews the opinion on an in any other case lovely show from Barcelona, it’s clear that Pedri deserves his flowers for what was one in every of his best-ever showings within the Blaugrana colors.
The Canary Islander participated in opposition to Los Rojiblancos from begin to end, and to name him the group’s most influential participant on the night time could be an understatement.
For starters, he was the one Barcelona participant who managed to attain previous Jan Oblak on what was an ideal night time for the Atletico Madrid shot-stopper.
Aside from his opening objective, nonetheless, he was chic in each facet of the sport all through the 90 minutes.
Pedri performed the opening half as a part of the double pivot alongside Marc Casado and helped Barcelona dominate the midfield battle and preserve possession with ease.
His environment friendly ball circulation and skill to decide on the appropriate moments to push ahead helped the Catalans open the guests’ defence with ease and his high quality was seen each time he obtained on the ball.
After the break, he was shifted quickly into the attacking midfield function and shone even brighter within the place. Free from defensive duties, he was in a position to orchestrate the assault instantly and break the defence together with his pinpoint passes.
The consequence could go down in a foul mild for the membership, however there’s a silver lining for certain in Pedri’s sensational exhibiting.
Midway by way of and nowhere shut
19 video games down, 19 extra to go. Barcelona are completely midway by way of the La Liga marketing campaign and their begin to the season has been nowhere near what was anticipated.
Regardless of a flying preliminary spell below Hansi Flick, the Blaugrana have fallen flat on their face in current weeks. Poor luck and poor high quality in equal measure are behind the droop in type they usually have now nicely and actually given up their lead on the high.
As soon as near 9 factors clear on the high, they’re now in second place and by a long way. Final night time’s defeat comes as an enormous blow to their marketing campaign and fingers Los Rojiblancos a sizeable lead.
Heading into the second half of the season, the Catalans are on 38 factors, three factors behind Atletico Madrid who also have a recreation in hand to doubtlessly prolong their result in six factors.
Actual Madrid, in the meantime, can cross Barcelona and attain 40 factors tonight and may pull 5 factors clear in the event that they win their recreation in hand scheduled for the primary week of January.
Barcelona could thus be 5 factors behind the second-placed group come their subsequent recreation in La Liga.
Furthermore, the gutting last-minute defeat final night time is the worst attainable solution to log out from 2024. One can hope for higher luck after Christmas however the possibilities of a comeback not seem as easy.
