It’s been some time coming but Barcelona have finally put out a performance that their fans have been craving for, for a long time. Fans have yearned for days like this when their side absolutely annihilate their opponents and score many goals past them.
Against Real Valladolid, Barcelona scored seven goals without response in what was a truly special performance. Hansi Flick’s team looked like they wanted to make a statement and that’s exactly how it panned out.
From the first minute, Barcelona were intense and purposeful in what they did. It was a thorough exhibition of technical brilliance from players who seemed to have been longing to play in a system like this.
There are so many things to dissect from the 7-0 win and we bring to you three talking points for Barcelona from their win against Real Valladolid.
1. Hansi-ball is legit
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona is a delight to sore eyes. The German, in such a short span of time, has gotten the players to buy into his idealogy and make his team play a certain brand of football.
Last night was a culmination of all the positives that we have been seeing from this team throughout pre-season. There have been moments of brilliance but when they all combine into one full game, situations like these 7-0 happen.
Against Valladolid, Barcelona did not give their opposition a minute of breathing space. They were intense with their press, smart with their attacking plays, and some of the combinations we saw on the night were out of the world.
Hansi-ball is officially here and looks set to stay. If the German can continue to make his team play in the same way week in and week out, Barcelona fans can be in for something special this season and we cannot be more excited!
2. Raphinha on rampage:
For the first three games of the season, Raphinha was one of Barcelona’s best players on the pitch without really chipping in with goals or assists. He was pressing non-stop and recovering balls but his attacking play was being let down by his teammates.
Against Valladolid, Raphinha took the matter into his own hands. He played the game like a mad elephant rampaging through the fields in what was a truly unstoppable performance.
He opened the scoring with a brilliant run and an equally brilliant finish. He then followed it up with two more excellently taken goals to round off his hattrick. The icing on the cake was his assist for Ferran’s goal.
This is easily Raphinha’s best version in a Barcelona shirt. He looks unstoppable and undroppable at the moment and Brazil have done us a favor by letting him rest in the international break and return with full vigor once club football resumes.
3. When will Lamine Yamal get rest?
It’s not time to compare but Lamine Yamal’s performance against Valladolid was reminiscent of the one and only – Lionel Messi. He did not have to score to influence the game.
Yamal had two assists in the game – both markedly different from one another. The first one was a classic, over-the-top chipped ball to Lewandowski and the second was a through pass he threaded through the eye of a needle to Raphinha.
However, Yamal has played too many minutes already this season without any rest. He is just 17 and it is a huge risk to run him into the ground this way. Barcelona of all clubs must know better considering what happened to Fati, Pedri, and Gavi.
Last night was a glorious opportunity to rest Yamal in the second half. However, he played the 90 minutes. He will now be on international duty with Spain and is unlikely to get rest there either.
Barcelona need to have a plan to manage Yamal’s minutes as this cannot be sustainable. Let’s hope the teenager gets through the break unscathed and comes back fit and firing.
