Although he lacks play, Barça now has a punch.
This was demonstrated against a Ceuta team that, despite his modesty, fought to make things difficult for him, at least for a large part of the first half.
Raphinha, relief of the unpredictable Ousmane Dembélé, Lewandowski, on two occasions, Ansu Fati and Kessié were in charge of materializing the four goals that would give the Catalans a 0-5 victory that puts them in the next round of the KO tournament without the fuss of the duel against Intercity, but with the feeling that many of the members of plan B will have to seriously get their batteries for Xavi to consider making changes to his
eleven
gala.
Barça did not enter the field of play with the intensity that is required of a tie, regardless of the rival they face.
Perhaps the vicissitudes of the displacement, with the arrival of the expedition to Ceuta by helicopter on the same Thursday morning, or the fact that only one footballer of the 11 who defeated Real Madrid in the Super Cup last Sunday, Robert Lewandowski, repeated. had something to do with it.
What is undeniable is that the local team, for many minutes, played with a more geared gear.
His was the first shot on goal, timid, yes, and with little danger for Iñaki Peña, but quite a declaration of intent.
His desire, at times, seemed capable of giving the Catalans a full-fledged scare.
Above all,
The Catalans, for many minutes, were terribly thick.
Controls apparently simple for footballers capable of reaching the First Division were finally lost far from their boots.
Raphinha, when the first part was dying, despite everything, found the loophole to largely exorcise the demons that were beginning to hang around the Barca neck.
And he did it with a shot from outside the area that Mejías, despite his efforts, was unable to completely deflect and ended up with the ball kissing the net.
The Brazilian, in fact, was from the beginning the most poignant of Xavi's men.
Theirs were the best options to open the scoring, but, up to 0-1, they all ended up getting lost along the bottom line.
The terribly thick game of the Barcelona fans was also evident in the very little participation of a Lewandowski who,
Because, if a moderately clear one arrives, the Pole does not forgive.
He demonstrated it like this when the first five minutes of the second half of the duel had barely been played.
With a subtle Ktouch, he took perfect advantage of the pass from a Kessié who had taken possession of the ball after pressing the rival's outlet to make it 0-2 in the light.
Less wise, on the other hand, would be a Ferran Torres who had a hard time with God and helped to generate some danger in front of the rival goal.
Sometimes, complicating his own life beyond words.
Pablo Torre, starting starter and replaced by Gavi after the break, did not exactly have his afternoon at the Alfonso Murube either.
The second goal from the Barcelona fans put Ceuta's combativeness on hold.
From then on, Xavi's team was able to have more of the ball, better control the times.
But even so, he managed to ensure a certain peace of mind.
Until Ansu Fati, Ferran's replacement at the point of attack, practically killed the game and the tie with just over 20 minutes to go in regulation time.
The Barça number
10
was planted at full speed in the rival area, faked a defender and practically gave a pass to the net to make it 0-3 on the scoreboard.
An action that was reminiscent of times now somewhat distant, but that seems to be getting closer to reviving.
Kessié, a little later, would score 0-4.
And Lewandowski, again, at sunset, would give the finishing touch with 0-5.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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