FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk at the Volksparkstadion exposed what every Barca fan feared, the team is unprepared for the Champions League. The encounter, which took place on Tuesday, November 7th, ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for the Catalan giants, marking a pivotal moment in their current campaign. Two defeats and a awfully lucky win in last 3 games not going great for the club and Xavi as a manager.
Looks like the team is still unprepared and unmotivated to play in Champions League. Dropping points against teams like Shakhtar would get them crushed during the round of 16 against teams like Bayern or Man City. The team can’t press and Lewandowski ≠Suarez. The squad depth is awful and La Liga rules will ensure no proper re-enforcements can be secured. But lets discuss everything in details.
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‘Unbeaten’ record by Xavi’s FC Barcelona broken ?
Barcelona’s perfect record in the Champions League was tarnished by a well-executed header from Shakhtar’s Danylo Sikan, leaving the Blaugrana with much to ponder.
Despite entering the match as favorites, Xavi’s team struggled to find their rhythm against a determined Shakhtar side, which had recently undergone a managerial change. The Ukrainian team’s victory was a testament to their resilience, especially given the challenging circumstances they face due to the ongoing conflict in their home country.
I just want to understand how does the club manage to find the best useless wingers and fullbacks of all time. The two Joao’s hype and output has all expired post their first week at the club. How can someone ghost so much when needed? Where has Ferran’s mentality gone? Gone down the ocean I guess.
Tactical Blunder in FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar Match
The match’s only goal was the culmination of a 27-pass sequence by Shakhtar, highlighting Barcelona’s difficulties in maintaining defensive coordination.
The loss has exposed Barcelona’s vulnerabilities, with Xavi acknowledging the need for a “reset” after what he described as one of the worst games since his tenure began. The team’s lack of intensity and creativity was evident, with star striker Robert Lewandowski experiencing his longest goal drought in over a decade.
Xavi is a seral offender of overcomplicating tactics in Champions League. Why make Lewandowski play outside the box in buildup play ? None of the wingers are clinical enough to shoot from outside the box. Hyper predictable and useless both in defense and attack. FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk match has exposed one thing the team has players who can sit on the bench but don’t add to the depth in the squad.
The so called squad depth is just a numerical figure not an actual advantage the squad has. Every time Alonso is on the field tell me about one good game he has had. Oriol Romeu only works well with Frankie De Jong on the field otherwise he is ineffective. Most of the first team players spend time outside the field than inside.
Economic Impact: A Costly Defeat
From an economic standpoint, the loss to Shakhtar Donetsk has dealt a significant blow to FC Barcelona. As reported by Forbes, each group stage win in the Champions League is valued at $3 million, meaning Barcelona missed out on a substantial sum.
With the club already navigating financial fair play limits and struggling to register players, the defeat’s financial repercussions are non-trivial. If I am not wrong qualifying for the round of 16 also grants some funds to the clubs qualifying. Well looks like the squad is no longer interested to gain the same. Our beloved La Liga and Tebas will surely choke out the remaining funds from this club.
The Road Ahead
Barcelona’s path to the knockout stage is now more complicated, with the team needing to secure victories in their remaining matches to ensure progression. The upcoming fixture against Porto is particularly crucial, as it may determine the group’s winner and Barcelona’s fate in the competition.
FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar game hopefully have given some insight for upcoming games. Xavi if you are reading this for the love of god stop experimenting and try and win games. Help the players and get them to play in their style of their own. You are not Pep stop acting like him.