The defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final last Sunday has raised a lot of questions at FC Barcelona. Xavi, although he still retains the confidence of the club, has raised doubts about his ability to lead the club back to its glory, and some players are also being questioned for their below-par performances.
One such player who has been facing a lot of criticism even before this match is the main striker of the team, Robert Lewandowski. Among other things, the Pole’s poor form is also raising the question of whether it would not have been better to retain Pierre Aymeric Aubameyang instead of selling him to Chelsea in 2022.
Barcelona did not miss the Gabonese too much last season, as the team won the Spanish Super Cup and also conquered La Liga. However, as SPORT has noted, the contrasting forms of Aubameyang and Lewandowski this season prove that Xavi was right to insist on the Gabonese’s retention at Barcelona.
Last season, Barcelona became the Spanish champions not so much because of their offensive capabilities, but mostly because of their defensive stability. However, as this defence has not been as watertight this season, the offensive shortcomings of the squad have also become more prominent.
The attack particularly suffers from a lack of effectiveness, which was particularly evident in the Spanish Super Cup final. Ferran Torres alone missed three clear scoring chances in the first half-hour.
On the other hand, only two days after the debacle in Riyadh, Aubemeyang won the Player of the Month award for December in Ligue 1. This season, the veteran striker has 13 goals and 7 assists in 26 official games with Olympique Marseille.
During his time at Barcelona, from January to September 2022, Aubameyang scored 13 goals in 23 games. A highlight of his Barcelona career included a 4-0 La Liga win over Real Madrid, in which he scored two goals, and his presence could surely have changed the result in the last match against Real Madrid.
