Lamine culminates Barça’s joy | Soccer | Sports

The exquisiteness and coldness of Lamine Yamal culminated a day of Barça joy in Jeddah. Laporta’s euphoria, unleashed by , was followed by a virtuoso performance by the Barça figure. A defeat would have spoiled the gesture of a president who needs the team’s victories to maintain his affront to LaLiga and the Federation. Lamine was in charge of delicately processing the ticket to the final of the Super Cup against an Athletic team that was as jovial as it was innocent and equivocal in the areas, diminished by absences and dejected after a streak of 15 unbeaten games since their fall in October in Girona.

The blaugranas. The winger attracts the ball and guides the game with the outside of his left foot, excellent with his changes of orientation and decisive in his movements to facilitate Koundé’s depth and Raphinha’s percussion. The Brazilian is a demon for his ease in attacking space and the ball, very difficult to cover and score, also for a surprisingly vulnerable defense like Athletic’s. Raphinha did not succeed in a forced shot and instead immediately facilitated Gavi’s goal with a recovery of the leather that Balde continued. The midfielder arrived quickly and accurately to the center of the side on Lekue’s side.

The goal underlined the arrival and punch of Barcelona, ​​superior at times, more subdued, insistent on the left side with Yuri and Berenguer, a torment for Koundé. Although Athletic pressed, their volume of play had no end, excessively rhetorical or not very clear-sighted against Szczesny, just as nervous as Unai Simón. The haste could put both teams in a tense, fun and very open match, incapable in any case of seducing the fans if one takes into account the many empty seats in the Jeddah stadium. The Barcelona fans, in any case, went from being the protagonists of the clash to being more aware of Athletic.

Halftime came with a very good opportunity from Iñaki Williams, covered by Cubarsí and Szczesny, after it had started in Unai Simón’s goal. The red and white charge was constant and there was no response from Barça. The Barça game had no continuity, surely conditioned by the absence of Olmo. The midfielder is the missing link, the player who gives meaning to Flick’s idea and whose presence allows each player to recover their natural position and their best version. The passing line is lost, the defense becomes demanded and the goalkeeper has have to intervene frequently, as Szczesny confirmed, who responded to the ownership granted by Flick due to Peña’s inattention.

The starting goalkeeper was apparently confused with the time of the pre-match activation session and the coach cannot stand lateness as was also seen with Koundé. Szczesny kept his goal closed while Raphinha continued to be erratic when creating the shot against Unai Simón. However, Lamine did not fail in an armed play based on the anticipation of Iñigo Martínez. The ball touched by the central defender passed through Pedri and Gavi before reaching Lamine, excellent in pausing, control, oriented turn and definition to make it 0-2. The 0-3 did not come shortly after because Lewandowski made a narrow mistake. The recoveries and transitions boosted Barcelona.

The score caused Valverde to intervene. Athletic has made an unequivocal leap in quality since winning the Cup. It still depends, however, on players who, victim of a blow to an ankle, and also in need of undetectable players like Sancet. Valverde had to carefully measure the lineup he put out in the same scenario in which his career as Barcelona coach ended in 2020. Nico’s departure to the field curiously coincided with the retirement of his friend Lamine. The Blaugrana pulled out of the plug at the same time as the Basques got pumped up and Flick ended up replacing Lewandowski as is customary.

Barça lost their place on the field, began to concede field and ball, and the arrivals followed one another in the Szczesny area. De Jong’s usual mistake ended with a goal by Iñaki Williams that was annulled by VAR intervention. The play caused the resignation of Athletic, as hard-working as it was fatigued, lacking success against a decisive rather than convincing Barcelona, ​​conditioned by Lamine. The winger’s reappearance coincided with the absence of the discarded Ansu Fati in a very delicate match for Flick due to the pressure caused by Laporta’s insult.

The emotional charge of the contest weighed on the event so that tension and concentration prevailed over fluidity and brilliance in Barcelona. Even Flick’s decision to change the goalkeeper due to a lack of punctuality added more unease to the match before Szczesny’s sobriety prevailed.

The Barcelona fans, who never knew how to regulate their efforts, acted pending the score, liberated by the goals and also by the mistake of Athletic, less brave than that of the League. The final is supposed to require a more stable team after provisionally closing the situation of Olmo and Pau Víctor. Everything is still very precarious at Barça.