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When the Slavia footballers, as they did in the first leg, came to thank their fans for the support provided, Ernesto Valverde had long since gone down the stairs that give access to the changing rooms of the Camp Nou. The Barca coach, no matter how much he avoided the apocalyptic preaching at the press conference, was most disgusted after what happened during the zero draw against the Czech champion. A result that could put the Catalans in a serious problem of not winning the next day to Borussia Dortmund. If this were joined by a victory of Inter in Prague, Barça would play life in the tournament in a territory as hostile as the Giuseppe Meazza in Milan. Valverde had spent the entire first time demanding that Piqué throw his teammates into space. But, except Semedo for a while, nobody ran to the back of the defenses. No one interpreted, understood or communed with the tactical request of his coach, visibly frustrated .

"We're going to worry a little. But not so much." This was one of those phrases that is probably fixed in the imaginary of Barcelona. Valverde pronounced it in his press appearance, forced to an exercise of permanent containment that, until now, nothing solves. Not even in the locker room, where many of his players have not ceased to prioritize their business and various external activities - the last trip from Griezmann to Brooklyn to witness a Nets-Knicks on the weekend of the postponed classic would be an example - nor in a directive that intuits the flames in front of their offices. That Ronald Koeman has an exit clause for the Dutch national team to be able to sign for Barcelona after the next Eurocup is no accident .

Josep Maria Bartomeu, president and also vice president of sports of Barcelona, ​​does not move card. Immobility was always the norm in his government work . Even more when it was he who imposed - under the approval of the costumes - the continuity of Valverde. And that he was aware of the risk of the decision, however much he required his technician to execute a revolution in the workforce. A new order that, in the end, has been summarized in the four substitutions of Sergio Busquets in the League (three of them with defeats in San Mamés, Los Cármenes and the Ciutat de València), the contempt of Rakitic, the footballer who most minutes had accumulated during the Valverde era and now roams the countryside as a soul in pain, or the emergence of Carles Pérez and, above all, Ansu Fati.

Piqué cards

On the other hand, Barcelona foremen neglected another series of problems. As the hiring of a center forward who could offer relief to a Luis Suárez tormented in Europe and an increasingly bruised physicist (Arturo Vidal ended up battering in the last game against Slavia) , or the incorporation of a third guarantee center that could compromise the ownership of the Piqué-Lenglet binomial.

Todibo, 19, has only played 77 minutes this season. While Samuel Umtiti's knee continues to generate suspicion after overcoming a fissure in the second metatarsal of the right foot. The World Champion with France has only been able to play one of the 15 games of this course. Concern grows over the irregular performance of Piqué, who will not be able to face Borussia Dortmund for sanction, and that has already accumulated nine yellow cards in 14 games [in the last season he added seven in 52 games] .

The dysfunctions do not end there. Junior Firpo, for whom Barcelona disbursed 18 million euros, plus another 12 in variables, saw the last two shocks from the stands . Valverde, given the constant muscular problems of a Jordi Alba who fell from his injury on Tuesday, prefers to see Nelson Semedo on the left bank. Who was going to say it, the Portuguese lane has become one of the most active attackers. Quite the opposite of Ousmane Dembélé, whose return to ownership resulted in nine lost balls . He always asked for the ball at his foot, never to space to print his explosiveness. Its fibers, fragile, increasingly limit it more.

The Messi-Griezmann cohabitation

The statistics recorded in the duel against Slavia only affected structural problems already known. The poor cohabitation between Messi and Griezmann continues. The Argentine only offered three passes to the French in 90 minutes, half that of Jordi Alba in half. The French striker, meanwhile, only gave the ball once to the Argentine all night . Griezmann continues to look further back (six passes to Lenglet) than forward, which has an impact on the few starting lines in the offensive zone.

In that area, Arturo Vidal, chosen by Valverde as the executor of the plays, accumulated kilometers without knowing where to go. Without offering or providing balls to anyone. He didn't shoot at the door. Nor did Griezmann or Dembélé , the other strikers. Only Messi tried (three). The rest of the auctioneers were defenses: Semedo, Piqué and Sergi Roberto.

The darkness in the rival field led to the central Lenglet being the player who passes most (97) in Barcelona , for the 68 of Frenkie de Jong, stunned by the individual marking and without partners with whom to associate from the line of media. Even Ter Stegen (39) added more services than Messi (34). Barcelona, ​​by the way, failed 98 passes in his duel against Slavia.

Oscar García Junyent will be premiering as coach of Celta next Saturday. An apostle of Cruyff at Camp Nou now that Barcelona is not recognized . Football is like that.

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  • Jordi Alba
  • Sergio Busquets
  • Arturo vidal
  • Ernesto Valverde
  • Luis Suarez
  • Ansu Fati
  • sports
  • Ousmane Dembélé
  • football
  • FC Barcelona
  • First division
  • Champions League

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