FC Barcelona were brought back down to earth at the Reale Arena last night, with a 1-0 loss bringing their impressive run to a close. For the first time under Hansi Flick, the Catalan club looked outplayed by their opponent.
It was a game marred by controversy after Robert Lewandowski’s goal, scored very early in the match, was incorrectly ruled out for offside due to a misinterpretation by VAR. One could assume that the game would have played out differently had Barcelona gone 1-0 up that early.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that Hansi Flick’s team had a very poor game by their own lofty standards. A number of players seemed a few paces off, with one of those being Jules Kounde, who has otherwise been a beacon of consistency this season.
Days after his remarkable display against Red Star Belgrade, Kounde put in arguably his weakest performance in a Barcelona jersey. He was run ragged by the Basque club’s attack, and the stats tell the story.
According to SofaScore, Kounde played 84 minutes, making just one interception and two tackles, and was dribbled past once. He won only four out of his nine ground duels and one of his three aerial duels.
Kounde lost possession an astonishing 15 times, which is unusually sloppy for a player of his caliber. He recorded 57 touches but completed only 20 of his 28 passes. He also failed to complete any of his three long balls on the night.
In the absence of Lamine Yamal, Kounde struggled to maintain width on the right side. Fermin Lopez wasn’t nearly the threat on the right that the Spaniard usually is, and this was reflected in Kounde’s performance.
It is very rare these days for Kounde to be substituted during a Barcelona game, and his early exit was a clear reflection of his struggles on the night. The Frenchman will be eager to make amends next time he plays. Let’s wait and see how it plays out.
