Sunday’s fixture at Villarreal was all the time going to ensure targets.
Here are two groups that get pleasure from taking part in free-flowing, attacking soccer, and, come what could, neither Marcelino nor Hansi Flick goes to be dissuaded from taking part in another manner.
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The Blaugranes had scored in 37 matches earlier than this one, their finest run since 2013, while the Yellow Submarine had already earned a best-ever points complete at this stage of the season.
Not to say that the final 4 video games had completed 3-2 and 5-3 to Villarreal, in addition to 5-1 and 4-3 to Barcelona.
Uniquely, all 4 wins have been for the away facet, and the guests would possibly’ve fancied their luck this time, not having misplaced away at Villarreal since October 2007 in La Liga.
Though Barca would keep prime of the league for Christmas, no matter occurred on Sunday, the Yellow Submarine had the carrot of understanding that if they may get all three points, it could convey them to inside 5 of their opponents.
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Lose, they usually’d need to claw again 11 points simply to attract stage with the Catalans.
Let’s check out three talking points from the match…
Lack of high quality within the first half
It’s not clear why, however Barca’s passing was fully off within the first half.
The ball was given away on 5 separate events earlier than quarter-hour had been performed, and two of these giveaways nearly resulted in Ayoze Perez giving Villarreal the lead.
That they didn’t shouldn’t be ignored, and nor ought to the essential errors equivalent to Alejandro Balde’s unbelievably poor again go.
In a recreation wherein the Blaugranes can have identified that they may put 11 points between them and Villarreal with a win, that kind of tardiness in possession isn’t acceptable.
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Raphinha leads by instance… once more
Is the Brazilian Barcelona’s most essential participant? Quite probably. He’s actually one of the vital decisive.
What units Raphinha aside is his work fee and software, in addition to the targets he scores in essential matches. His stunning curling effort within the first half deserved a aim too,
He all the time steps up in each side of play, and although not captain on the day, being a senior participant is a accountability that he takes critically.
Witness the best way he let the Villarreal bench know precisely what he considered Renato Veiga’s problem on Lamine Yamal.
A participant who has grown into his position on the membership and who deserves all of the accolades that come his manner.
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The significance of Joan Garcia
Thank God for Joan Garcia.
How many occasions this season had he obtained Barca out of a gap with some sensible goalkeeping, and what number of occasions did he save the Catalans in opposition to Villarreal?
The intervention in opposition to (an offside) Sergi Cardona was noteworthy, as was one other save of the best high quality from Georges Mikautadze.
Five saves have been as many as he’d made in opposition to Rayo Vallecano, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s sullen manner in direction of the tip of the sport spoke volumes.