• 1-2 in Can Misses. Narration and statistics

Eight days after the plenipotentiary president Josep Maria Bartomeu dismissed Ernesto Valverde and hired Quique Setién, the fourth option on the spare parts list, Barcelona experienced a torment in the sixteenth of the Copa del Rey against Ibiza, a team of Second B. Antoine Griezmann, in the absence of the pantocrator Messi, ripped the Catalans out of a living hell. The champion of the World with France, in his only two interventions of merit, scored the goal of the tie and also the one of the triumph, already in minute 94 and when the extension already appeared. Barça de Setién lives from the epic. Who was going to tell him.

The game perpetrated by Barcelona in Can Misses referred to those falls against Figueres, Novelda or Gramanet at the beginning of the decade, when the Catalans were eliminated in games without return of the Cup. Bartomeu, the day he presented a Quique As long as he could not believe that he had been entrusted with such a task, he assured that the change of technician would serve to obtain a "boost". In the league premiere against Granada, Messi had to relieve the team when the opponent stayed with one less. In the absence of more goals, we are dedicated to counting passes. Bad symptom. In Ibiza, and without the Argentine pantrocátor there -Setién granted him rest next to Piqué, while Busquets was low by penalty-, Barça behaved like a 'pinball' table. Without the tactical scheme (3-5-2) offering solutions. And, above all, without football players ready to rebel. Only Ansu Fati, who should have less responsibility, insisted on intimidation.

The first act of Barcelona in Ibiza not only did not improve what was seen against Granada, but made it worse. Setién attended again to the monopoly of the ball, with again mastodontic possession records. But it's no use having the ball if you don't know what to do with it. That should not be called position play. There was no way for the Catalans to find superiorities, either by the throat of the field or by the banks. And the rival area was nothing more than that hallmark oasis of hallucination.

1-0 and Riqui Puig

Sergi Roberto formed in a line of three behind with Lenglet and Junior Firpo. Those who had to open the field at the ends were Semedo, a nonsense, and Ansu Fati, the only one willing to overflow and depth. Whether it was for the band, or for interior areas. Carles Pérez was partnering with Griezmann in attack. De Jong, who in the second act was able to redeem himself with the assistance of the tie, served as a midfielder next to the twilight Rakitic. And also Riqui Puig.

Soccer, always extremist in the analysis, is able to deny you heaven and drag you to hell in a couple of days. Riqui, after his blessed league appearance, discovered the other side of this sport. When he was replaced 20 minutes from the end he ended up sunk on the bench. Maybe looking for answers to his bad night. The mental agility was not enough this time to deal with the beefy midfielders of Ibiza. Beyond the lost balls, Riqui was condemned by the action of the inaugural goal. He was not able to chase, or even bother, Javi Pérez when he went to finish off a center of Rai. Riqui was behind him, not knowing very well what to do. Pep Caballe concluded the episode. The former Cornellà captain got in the path with his knee so that Neto ran out of options.

Far from reacting, Barcelona remained in them. There was no option to reach the hot zone of Ibiza. And Pablo Alfaro's footballers, who ran as if the devil were chasing them, even hovered the second goal. Rodado was canceled one by pushing Lenglet. The same forward saw how Neto denied him the net after Rai, after breaking De Jong, fired the stick.

68 minutes to knock on door

The Catalans did not react until Ibiza began to fail forces, well into the second act. In fact, the first shot at the visitors' door did not arrive until after the time of the game, in the 68th minute. Setién shook the bench nervously. Carles Pérez marched to enter Jordi Alba; Arthur left his pubalgia behind and replaced Riqui Puig; while Arturo Vidal and his agonizing football - that very Valverde solution - emerged when Barcelona regained some air with the goal of the draw. The reason had to be sought in an episodic action, devised by De Jong - he had to ruminate the assistance while he was still in full swing - and crowned at the first touch by Griezmann.

Ibiza set out to resist, even knowing that reaching the extension would be a feat no matter how much its rival would not have given a right all night. The premises were freed when the referee, without the reference of the Machiavellian VAR, obviated a clear push from Grima to Ansu Fati that should have been a penalty. Pablo Alfaro's team was already dreaming of the extra time when Jordi Alba reached a clearing in the career of Griezmann, again precise in the shot and who qualified for Barcelona for the round of 16 of the tournament.

The team that Setién threw at the goal three times and scored two goals. The last of them already climbing the stairs of the scaffold. This Barcelona continues to live to the limit. Before without the ball and now with him.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Quique Setién
  • Ansu Fati
  • Jordi Alba
  • Ernesto Valverde
  • Arturo vidal
  • Antoine Griezmann
  • sports
  • football
  • Copa del Rey
  • FC Barcelona

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