Game after game, FC Barcelona is increasing their La Liga lead, leaving all the other teams far behind. In the Champions League, however, they have not been quite as stellar, given their recent quarterfinal loss to Atlético Madrid. Their match against Espanyol may have been a resounding victory, but how does it bode for the week ahead?
The Barcelona Derby
The score of the meeting against the two Catalan clubs opened after only 10 minutes. Ferran Torres has been underperforming in recent weeks, but partially redeemed himself after a corner and Lamine Yamal’s assist. This wasn’t the last thing the duo had to say, as only fifteen minutes later, they repeated the feat, making it 2:0. Although Espanyol also noted some promising chances, the first half was dominated by Barcelona, who simply refused to share the ball for more than a few seconds.
The second iteration didn’t start quite as well for Barcelona. Ferran aimed for a hat-trick, but his early goal was disallowed due to Eric García’s offside. Before the team could shake off the disappointment and regroup, Espanyol seized the break in the rhythm and scored a goal of their own, breathing life back into their slightly dejected players.
With the victory seemingly up for the taking, both teams did everything they could to move the score in a favourable direction. The pendulum swung in Barcelona’s direction three minutes before the end of standard time. Yamala, who had up to that point noted two assists, added a goal to his impressive game record. Having gotten the ball, he outplayed Espanyol’s goalkeeper and shot into an empty net.
Just in case there was any hope left in Espanyol’s hearts, in the 89th minute, Barcelona scored for the last time. For the fourth time that evening, Yamal played a part in the goal when he passed the ball to Frenkie de Yong, who found the perfect moment to cross it into the penalty box. There, Marcus Rashford finished off the action, making it a commendable 4:1 for the home team.
What About The Champions League?
The Barcelona derby may have been a nice victory, but it opened a discussion about the next game awaiting Blaugrana: the Champions League meeting with Atlético. The team is going into the match with a decided disadvantage, being two goals behind and playing in front of their opponent’s audience. Due to these factors, many fans expected Hansi Flick to use the La Liga game as a chance to let some of his most crucial players rest. Since Real Madrid had drawn their match with Girona before Barcelona faced Espanyol, the team was guaranteed to, at the very least, stay six points ahead of their nearest rival. No matter the score, they would have still had a comfortable cushion.
Instead of doing what many may have expected him to, Flick decided to take advantage of the situation in a different way and increase the lead over Real to nine points. This led to him leaving some of Barcelona’s most crucial players, such as Yamal or Pedri, on the field for the full 90 minutes. The question is, will they be able to keep the level of play needed for Barcelona to advance to the semifinals despite having played an intense game only a few days before?
Maybe there is a strategy to the coach’s madness. The win has definitely given both the players and the fans the boost in confidence that might end up pushing them in Tuesday’s game. As the match against Espanyol neared its end, the spirited audience chanted “Si, se puede” (“Yes, we can”), reminding the team that the fight is not over until the final whistle. Self-belief can be a powerful tool if applied responsibly, and if Barcelona’s players take victory as a sign of good form, they can put up a good fight against the advantaged Atlético.
End Of My Barcelona Rant
Whatever Flick’s rationale may have been, only Tuesday evening will reveal whether it was a stroke of genius or a costly mistake. The eyes of all fans are sure to be directed towards Madrid, and although both teams are eager to advance to the semifinals, only one of them will go home victorious. Will the glory come to Camp Nou?
