For their trip to Estadi de la Ceràmica, Hansi Flick took a bold call to rotate some of his starting XI players and give chances to the likes of Gerard Martin, Pablo Torre, and Sergi Dominguez. Marc Casado, Alejandro Balde, and Pau Cubarsi got some much-deserved rest.
Against one of the best attacks in La Liga this season, it was a surprising call from the German coach. Barcelona however continued on a similar note and started the game well but suffered a cruel blow just before half-time.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, after facing much criticism for his performance against AS Monaco, was having a great game against the Yellow Submarine but went down after jumping up to claim a routine ball from a corner. On instant viewing, the injury looked serious and the Barcelona captain had to be stretchered off.
Inaki Pena came on to replace him and made a solid save in the second half but this injury served as a dampener in what was yet another impressive 5-1 win from Hansi Flick’s men. It is feared that Ter Stegen is set to have a long-term injury.
As someone who himself experienced a long-term injury last season, Real Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois put out a classy heartfelt message on X in support of the Barcelona keeper, wishing him a speedy recovery. Here is how it read:
“I’m sorry about the injury, @mterstegen1. It really hurt to see you leave the field like that. I hope you can recover soon, and we’ll see you back in goal.”
Courtois’ message reminds everyone that sometimes, football needs to extend beyond club rivalries and this is one such situation. No one would wish for an opposition player to get injured the way Ter Stegen did against Villarreal.
This is a crushing blow to Hansi Flick’s plans as Ter Stegen, despite his poor form this season, is indispensable considering what he brings to the table. The obvious choice is for Barcelona to replace him with Inaki Pena.
The La Masia graduate needs to make a significant step up in quality to cover for the absence of Ter Stegen. Barcelona suffered last season in the absence of their captain but this is a new team under a new manager. Let’s hope Flick manages to get the best out of Pena as we continue to wait for our captain to return.
Siento la lesión @mterstegen1 , me dolió mucho verte salir así del campo. Espero que puedas recuperarte pronto y volvamos a verte en la portería. pic.twitter.com/4u72LkjnnH
— Thibaut Courtois (@thibautcourtois) September 22, 2024
