In the absence of football, the goals serve to buy time for Barcelona and better prepare for the next match, which will be on Sunday at the Bernabéu. The saying that works are loves, and not good reasons, was true in Montjuïc. . The difference was more in the opponent – the Greeks were very inferior – and also in the referee – the Swiss was much more condescending than Jesús Gil – than in the version of Flick’s team. The rout fell without stopping after the Mendilibar squad was left with one less player due to the expulsion of Hezze. Rashford then completed Fermín’s work with two goals.
6
Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Koundé (Ronald Araujo, min. 74), Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Alejandro Balde (Gerard Martín, min. 74), Fermín López, Lamine Yamal (Roony Bardghji, min. 74), Dro Fernández (Frenkie de Jong, min. 58), Pedri (Marc Bernal, min. 79), Marc Casadó and Marcus Rashford
1
Konstantinos Tzolakis, Costinha, Panagiotis Retsos, Francisco Ortega (Bruno Onyemaechi, min. 52), Lorenzo Pirola, Chiquinho (Diogo Nascimento, min. 30), Gelson Martins (Christos Mouzakitis, min. 45), Daniel Podence (Roman Yaremchuk, min. 77), Santiago Hezze, Dani García and Ayoub El Kaabi (Mehdi Taremi, min. 77)
Goals
1-0 min. 6: Fermin. 2-0 min. 38: Fermin. 2-1 min. 52: Ayoub El Kaabi. 3-1 min. 67: Lamine Yamal. 4-1 min. 73: Rashford. 5-1 min. 75: Fermin. 6-1 min. 78: Rashford
Referee Urs Schnyder
yellow cards
Balde (min. 22), Santiago Hezze (min. 34), Dani García (min. 38), Daniel Podence (min. 54)
red cards
Santiago Hezze (min. 56)
The victory was as simple as the game was complicated until the score was 3-1 in a match that brooked no jokes after the defeat against PSG. The feelings in the Champions League did not improve much compared to the League. Barça has become a flaccid team, distrustful of itself, as if it had lost its memory and was out of tune and relaxed, little to do with the one that won the League and the Cup. We will have to look at the infirmary to strengthen our spirits before traveling to Madrid
The lineups, highly conditioned by the string of casualties, are more scrutinized than ever since the centre-back pair fluctuates, the full-backs are not in their best shape and the wingers no longer press as was customary in Flick’s manual. The coach placed Fermín near the left side so that he could sweep the attacking front and press for two, and, if necessary, for three, – and Lamine -, he brought on Dro as the third midfielder – De Jong rested – and repeated with Cubarsí-Eric as defenders ahead of Szczesny.
Fermín was the solution as usual because his football is always decisive regardless of Barça’s moment. The many losses still bleed the Blaugrana, especially when they feel harassed on their court, because they allow easy chances for rivals and prevent progress in the rival field, until they connect with Pedri. Olympiacos, however, is as brave as it is vulnerable, generous in concessions when the opponent breaks the pressure, not very diligent in controlling the depth of Barça’s full-backs and strikers.
The arrivals of Rashford and Lamine ended with a goal from Fermín, always persevering and reaching, also defining against Tzolakis. The 1-0 did not calm the Barcelona fans, too impatient and insecure, not at all fine and clumsy with the ball, exposed even against Mendilibar’s squad, which used the same formation that lost 2-0 against Arsenal. The match was still very open and uncontrolled, luckily for Olympiacos, whose fans – 2,700 followers – were more intense than Barça’s.
Even with Cubarsí, Eric and Pedri on the field, the passing line did not work in the face of Olympiacos’ harassment. Nobody was trying to uncheck either in a team that has lost harmony, too sensitive and, at the same time, brave and noble enough to resist and fight as was seen in the ball that Pedri collected, Dro drove very well and Fermín shot at goal. The Andalusian was about to score 3-0 before El Kaabi scored 3-1. The Moroccan had to beat Szczesny twice because the VAR intervened to declare a penalty for previous hands by Eric and annul El Kaabi’s goal. The forward did not forgive from 11 meters and opened his team’s scoring tally in the Champions League. The Barça fragility maintained Olympiacos’ aspirations to equalize the match until the referee showed Hezze the second card.
The numerical superiority was definitive because the spaces allowed the rehabilitation of Rashford and Lamine. The Englishman forced a debatable penalty after touching the ball on the goalkeeper’s exit and Lamine made it 3-1 after VAR intervention.
Rashford’s hit and a volley from Fermín closed a night that is expected to be therapeutic in a Barça that does not stop listening to find the fluidity and energy lost in no one knows where if not in the injuries of players like Raphinha and in the form of footballers like Lamine.
