Barcelona’s fairytale storyline appeared to be written in the stars last night as they took on Atletico Madrid hoping for a Remontada in the Copa del Rey semifinal.
The Blaugrana covered two goals of the four-goal deficit in the first half and played the game with intensity and mentality that screamed of the comeback being achievable.
Marc Bernal’s goal in the second half then cut down the deficit to just one goal and made it all the more believable.
The final goal, however, never arrived as Atletico Madrid began defending deeper and Barcelona failed to deploy a reliable target-man to neutralise that tactic. Their valiant effort, in the end, went in vain but will not go forgotten.
Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 3-0 Atletico Madrid.
A performance to be proud of
A defeat in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey should usually be a cause of deep concern and disappointment, but Barcelona’s performance last night deserves anything but negativity.
Entering the game with a deficit of four goals, it was always going to be an uphill task to pull off a comeback. Yet, Barcelona came painfully close, and the team deserve nothing but flowers for the performance they dished out.
For 90 minutes, Barcelona played with the highest intensity they have shown all season and put in a shift that has not been seen in a long time.
Every player on the field gave it their all, pressing for their lives, winning the ball back high and dominating the game to an extent where Atletico Madrid barely got a sniff on goal.
In addition to their dominance, the Catalans also delivered a brilliant defensive performance against all odds and ensured that they kept a clean sheet, thus losing the game only by one goal on aggregate in the end.
Hansi Flick will be nothing but proud of what his side produced. To end up on the wrong side of the result after a performance like they delivered is harsh, but a part of football they must simply accept. There are, after all, greater objectives for them to achieve this season.
Three teenage gems shine bright
Every player in the garnet and blue deserves a section of their own in a match review, for there was no individual on the field who did not give it their all.
Three players, however, stood out as far superior to the others, and all three just happen to be teenagers of the same academy cohort.
For starters, Lamine Yamal was spectacular against Atletico Madrid despite having the spotlight on him, and single-handedly took over most of the creative brunt on the night.
His dribbles were astounding, and the consistency with which he broke loose, sent in crosses and even teed up with Joao Cancelo on the overlap made him a serious attacking threat. As an individual performance, there is not much more one could ask of him.
Marc Bernal also shone bright against Simeone’s side. He has established a great goalscoring record as a midfielder for La Masia over the years, and last night he again scored two goals in a game at the highest level, showing that he is ready for the greatness that awaits him.
Beyond his goals, Bernal was brilliant with his interceptions and distribution and partnered with Pedri brilliantly to ensure complete control in midfield.
Finally, Pau Cubarsi was simply phenomenal in defence against Atletico Madrid and deserves all the flowers he gets.
Both him and Gerard Martin did well to deny Atletico a goal on a night where they simply could not afford to concede, but Cubarsi played the bigger part with crucial tackles, interceptions and defensive actions in complicated situations.
He finished the game with eight defensive actions, six recoveries, one shot blocked, four clearances, an interception and five duels won.
Worrying consequences
The high-intensity game produced by Barcelona, needless to say, took a serious toll on the team which looked dead exhausted at full-time. They dropped straight to the ground, both in disappointment and fatigue, and it is clear that the consequences are not pretty.
The likes of Pedri, Marc Bernal, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Joao Cancelo put in the shift of their lives and simply may not be ready to start against Athletic Club this weekend.
Hansi Flick, thus, must remain cautious of how he lines up the team in the next game to prevent injuries and ensure the well-being of his players. That constitutes the immediate consequence of the game.
The bigger setbacks, however, are the injuries suffered by Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde on the night, both of whom suffered a hamstring injury.
It remains to be seen how long the duo will remain out, but initial reports point to a month on the sidelines at least. To lose both starting full-backs for a month in the same game, needless to say, is a painful blow for Flick’s plans.
Joao Cancelo and Eric Garcia, thus, will have to take up more prominence for Barcelona as the full-backs in the coming games and will have to fill in for a month with little to no rest. That includes the games against Newcastle United which will be a massive defensive test.
