Barcelona (AFP)

A draw and a start of crisis: after his heavy defeat in Levante Saturday (3-1) in the league, Barcelona skated at home against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night in the Champions League (0-0), and sinks into a bad pass.

Barça, who hit rock bottom on Saturday after conceding three goals in seven minutes, was far from displaying its usual serenity in its Camp Nou den on Tuesday.

It's the opposite. After spending an ideal October, with seven wins in seven games between September 24 and October 29, Barcelona showed unusual signs of fever at home Tuesday night, and began the month of November with a nightmare.

"I'm more worried about what happened before the equalizer than what happened next," said Barça coach Ernesto Valverde Saturday night after the defeat in Levante, in reference to the lethargy of his team in the first half.

And if he was already worried Saturday, Valverde, in the hot seat, must now get a blood of ink, compared to what his training offered Tuesday.

Because it is especially the lack of background of the game of Catalans that is scary to see. Unable to create the danger against the weakest team of Group F Champions League, Barcelona have had the worst difficulties in the world to break the opposing lines, in front of a Czech team often grouped in its 35 meters.

- Messi, too lonely -

Grouped, very supportive in defense, but who also knew how to play his shots thoroughly, like this big opportunity Stanciu (26th) on a center came from the left, or this goal refused for offside (45th ).

The Czechs, who had already held the game against Barcelona in the first leg despite the defeat (2-1), have again managed to pose serious problems, and pocket their second draw of the competition, after their 1-1 opening against Inter.

As in Levante, the executives of the Catalan team (Piqué, suspended against Dortmund for accumulation of yellow cards, Busquets, rather transparent) once again remained silent. Except Messi, who continues to be the only one to float in the paddling pass of Barça.

After his penalty to open the score in Valencia this weekend, he was threatening snatches on Tuesday, with this strike pushed by the cross (35th), the recovery of a center of Fati, missed by little (77th ), or with this impressive but unsuccessful kidney break (40th).

Some class actions that did not allow him to extend his series of five games where he had found the net in all competitions. And even less to save his team.

Despite the draw, Barça extend their solid series of 34 games without defeat (including 30 wins) at Camp Nou, and remains at the top of Pool F with 8 points. And four ahead of Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, who clash later in the evening (21:00).

Two games remain for the Catalans to validate their ticket to the knockout stages: November 27 at Camp Nou against Dortmund, then a complicated trip to Inter Milan on December 10 ... Before a crispy Clasico, postponed to 18 December.

By then, the Catalans will have time to wake up from this bad dream.

© 2019 AFP