There were simply no excuses for how FC Barcelona managed to succumb to Michel’s Girona. Xavi’s side have been granted access to some of Europe’s best talents and to suffer at the hands of an upcoming underdog is unacceptable. Barcelona were outplayed, and it showed on the scoreline.
However, while there may not be excuses, there are errors that were made. Simple tweaks and adjustments that could have led to a better result were not made by Xavi, but ultimately the result stands as it does. Yet, highlighting the weaknesses from the game can lead to future improvement.
As such, SPORT has decided to outline the seven ‘sins’ of Barcelona against Girona. Ranging from defensive issues to a lack of efficiency, there were several issues with Barcelona that deserve to be looked at with a deeper sight.
Wayward in front of goal:
Barcelona are undoubtedly becoming more and more complacent in front of goal. A recent statistic report showcased their inability to convert chances, but that was on display once again versus Girona. Taking a total of 31 shots, Barcelona only had 11 on target. Ultimately, only two of them were goals.
On the other hand, Girona had 15 total shots, out of which 7 were on target and 4 were goals. This absence of clinical finishers is costing Barcelona, and Robert Lewandowski is one of the main culprits within it.
Glass defense:
While it is true that the approach of using three natural central defenders with a more offensive fullback worked wonders last season, it has been far from being as effective this season.
Unable to cope with Girona’s intense wingers, Barcelona now conceded 18 goals in 16 La Liga games. As a reference, Barça had conceded only 6 goals in the same number of games last season.
No X-factor:
The Barcelona attack often seems way too stale and one-dimensional. Xavi’s side possesses very few players who are comfortable in taking on defenders and overcoming them most of the time.
Instead, the Catalan giants mainly rely on players too concerned with passing the ball to safety rather than creating something by themselves. On the other hand, Michel’s side absolutely thrived in this department.
Lack of patience and control:
Barcelona were terrible at making decisions in the final third against Girona. Oftentimes, the Barça players would get dispossessed or play ineffective passes or moves when deciding on their final pass.
Whenever Xavi’s men got close to the opposition’s box, their decision-making seemed to get worse and hastier.
Forgetting about Miguel:
The scorer of the second goal, Miguel was a key player for Girona against Barcelona. By focusing too much on Savinho, Barça lost track of the Girona defender occupying the midfield spaces.
Running through on towards the Barça goal, he faced no trouble from Xavi’s players in his quest to snatch up a great goal for his team. Apart from the goal as well, the Madrid native had several chances presented due to the same reason.
Positional inferiority:
Barcelona were initially the much better team in terms of applying pressure and their solid positioning. As the game went on, however, Michel’s side took over.
Uncoordinated pressing coupled with a side scattered across the field, Barcelona could not keep up with the opposition. This often led to Girona coming into very dangerous positions.
Opposite communication:
While Girona’s tactical setup and communication was consistent, as acknowledged by Ilkay Gundogan as well, Barça’s was rather frustrated. The Barcelona players were seen critiquing one another more often than not. Moreover, the same players were visibly not as well-drilled as the players on Michel’s side.
