Injury concerns are spreading in the Barcelona camp, with several key players missing against Athletic Club. To the outside world, the club’s management has no face due to financial and registration-related problems.
Considering all the internal and external hurdles the team has to overcome, their start to the new La Liga season has been simply sensational.
After the victory against Valencia in The MestallaThe Catalans beat Athletic Club at home last night to take six points from their first two league games, a feat only Celta Vigo has managed to achieve so far this season.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring of the evening with a great finish from outside the penalty area, but a mistake by Pau Cubarsi gave the visitors the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.
In the end, Robert Lewandowski was once again Barcelona’s saviour when he scored the winning goal for the Barcelona in the 75th minute.
Barça Universal brings you three insights from yesterday’s presentation.
A golden midfield duo
Hansi Flick surprised everyone with his team selection against Athletic Club when he decided to use the young Marc Bernal alongside Pedri in the double six that evening.
First of all, his decision to choose Bernal over the more established and solid Marc Casado was surprising, and his selection of Pedri alongside the 17-year-old was even more bizarre.
However, once the game kicked off, it didn’t take long to see the dynamics Flick had planned behind the scenes, with both Bernal and Pedri executing their roles perfectly.
The 17-year-old top player of the academy served primarily as a pivotal point and impressed with his impeccable ball distribution and his defensive sense.
In addition to maintaining control of his team’s possession, Bernal also held his line to thwart any counterattacks and finished the game with an astonishing 96% passing accuracy and 100% successful dribbling.
Pedri, meanwhile, played a dual role, being part of the pivot position when not in position but having the freedom to go forward in attack and often pushing wide to the left to apply pressure in the final third.
He dominated the field in his first game back from injury with five key passes and looked frighteningly strong when in possession. His assist for Lewandowski’s winning goal was, of course, a masterpiece.
Flying full-backs
It was clear from the start that Flick’s Barcelona would place more emphasis on the full-backs, and last night’s performance was a good example of that.
Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, at right and left back respectively, both put in a sensational performance against the Basque team, albeit in different ways.
Kounde was set up against Nico Williams at Montjuic and had the task of keeping one of the best wingers in the world under control. The Frenchman’s superiority was so great that he never lost sight of the Spaniard during the 90 minutes.
Kounde played 12 times in defence and was not lapped throughout the game. He kept full control of Nico on the right flank. The Athletic Club star ended up with no successful crosses, long balls, shots on goal or goal involvements.
While Kounde shone in defense, Balde took on the importance in the final third and passed his test with flying colors.
With a key pass, dangerous combination play with Pedri and Raphinha and his speed on counterattacks, La Masia The star was everywhere and it’s no surprise that he played a big role in his team’s winning goal.
The performance of a captain
A lot can be said about Barcelona’s performance in the final third last night, as each player shone in their own way.
Yamal scored his first goal of the season with a world-class strike from outside the box, while Lewy waited in the box hoping for a chance and scored in the second half. Even Ferran Torres was much improved compared to the last game.
The player who deserves the most praise, however, is newly appointed captain Raphinha.
The Brazilian star was deployed as an attacking midfielder for the second game in a row and shone in this central role, with almost every attack actually coming through his feet.
Although Raphinha did not have a goal or an assist to his name, he made three key passes, created three stunning chances, had two shots saved and completed three dribbles against Athletic Club.
His confident behaviour in tight spaces, his dynamism, his ability to break free on counterattacks and his uncompromising attitude in the final third gave the team what it sorely lacked last season and his leadership qualities were clearly visible on the pitch.
Considering his performances in the opening match, Raphinha could well become one of the team’s most important resources in the coming months.
