FC Barcelona v Valladolid (4-0) Match Review: Lewandowski &Dembele Shine and Kounde’s First Start!

The Barca Breakdown discussed Matchday 31 where FC Barcelona faced off against the near relegated Levante.    Notable changes Xavi employed were Nico in for Pedri and Araujo for Pique. The first half began with an awful performance. It seemed Barca had lost the fundamentals with passing off the mark and the lack of an ability to open the pitch. This was also exacerbated with Levantes keen defense and great man marking. While the frustration of the first half was overwhelming, Barca were able to hold on to a 0-0 outcome with the help of Ter Stegen, Eric Garcia, and Araujo.    Coming into the second half, Xavi didn't make any immediate subs and the chaos ensued. A penalty was called against Barca and Levante scored to take the lead. Xavi made a switch to the midfield and put in Pedri and Gavi. Immediately the game changes. Dembele crosses the ball into Aubameyang and the header goes in to equalize! Soon after Levante got a second penalty and Ter Stegen made a huge save.    The young duo strike; Gavi is able to pass the ball into Pedri who takes a 1 touch shot and TAKES THE LEAD! Barca are up 1-2. Lenglet gets subbed in and fouls causing a 3rd penalty. Levante score and equalize.    As a last chance sub, Xavi places in Traore and Luuk De Jong. In the 90' + 2 minute Alba crosses the ball into Luuk and a game winning header flies into the net! Barca are VICTORIOUS!    The Breakdown look forward to the second leg against Frankfurt on Thursday!

10 Apr 202214min

The Barca Breakdown discussed the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Europa League where FC Barcelona faced off in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt. With Europa League most likely being Barca's only chance at a trophy this season, Xavi would have to prioritize the win in today's game. However, it seemed Xavi chose to rest some big players in the match. We saw Dembele and Frenkie De Jong on the bench for Traore and Gavi. Additionally, Pedri played on the pitch as a RCM and Gavi played as the LCM. Of course with the unregistered Dani Alves and injured Dest, Araujo slotted in the RB position. Our other two attackers were Aubameyang and Ferran Torres.   Coming into the game Barca seemed to be playing with their foot on the gas. This doesn't mean they were doing it too well. Barca seemed chaotic, disheveled, off key, and did not control the pitch. Frankfurt took advantage and were aggressive. The first half left barca heavily on the defense fighting to prevent Frankfurt from scoring.   The beginning of the second half didn't change all too much. Xavi finally made some subs in the 60' and put in Frenkie and Dembele. Immediately it had an effect and Barca were able to score with some interplay with Ferran Torres. Barca leave the game in a draw with the hopes the following leg will be a different result. The Breakdown looks forward to facing off against Levante in which we discuss who should be rested and what our expectations are.

8 Apr 202215min

The Barca Breakdown discussed the return from the international break to face off against Sevilla. While we feared the possibility of Barca falling into the luls of returning from the international break, Xavi's men were ready to fight. The first half had a solid 25 minutes of moving the ball forward to create chances. However, as we saw during the game, Barca's performance went through many peaks and troughs. Dembele was continuously crossing the ball into the middle to create chances for ferran torres and Frenkie De Jong. Although, like Torres has typically played, he couldn't score, missing some big opportunities. Xavi's Barca really held strong in the defense and midfield, snubbing out any Sevilla chances with the help of Pique, Araujo, and Alba and controlling the ball. It is to say Aubameyang was having a quiet game as well.    During the second half Sevilla had a few opportunities but failed to convert. During this time Barca were in a trough of performance, losing the ball and control. All out it changed in the 60-65' when Barca were reignited. Barca seemed to be playing much more aggressively and looking to score. It all came together when dembele passed to Pedri who spectacularly made two Sevilla defenders stumble in front of him. Hecreated the space and took a wonderful shot straight into the back of the neck right past Bono. Pedri, the 19 year old golden boy scored the game winning goal against Sevilla to bring Barca into second place on the La Liga table.    All facts considered this game had a wonderful result and the Barca Breakdown is excited coming into the Europa League game against Frankfurt on Thursday.

3 Apr 202211min

The Barca Breakdown discuss the Sevilla La Liga match coming up as the 2nd and 3rd teams face off. Coming off the international break, we hope Xavi is able to recreate the magic we were seeing from the team, culminating in the 0-4 victory against Real Madrid in El Clasico. There are some interesting storylines for FC Barcelona as as the season comes to a close. Firstly, Ousmane Dembele and Barca are reportedly in talks again about signing a contract renewal. Sergino Dest being injured as well as Eric Garcia's string of good performances will place an interesting dynamic on the right back position. Will we see Ronald Araujo continue to play there? Or will Dani Alves get a majority of the playtime? With many games in April, we are hoping to see Xavi utilize rotations well to keep everyone healthy. With Gavi, Nico, Lengelet, Depay, Luuk De Jong, Adama Traore, and more on the bench, we are well-positioned to keep players healthy with the incredible depth FC Barcelona have.

2 Apr 202214min

The Barca Breakdown discussed the utter DOMINATION as FC Barcelona won with 4 away goals against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Aubamayeng, Ferran Torres, Araujo all scored, with Ousmane Dembele getting 2 assists.   Though Real Madrid came out with a bit of resistance early, Carlo Ancelloti’s men were thoroughly outclassed by Xavi’s Barca, with free movement and beautiful passing throughout the game. Busquets, Frenkie De Jong, and Pedri were wonderful in the midfield, against a Real Madrid team that seemed to have no passion or interest in competing.   Having Araujo covering for Dest in the right back position completely shut down Vinicius Junior. Additionally, having Osuamne Dembele placed on the right wing to connect with Aubameyang was a recipe for destruction. Dembele’s crosses were on point leading to the first goal which was placed in the back of the net by Aubameyang. Then A corner from Dembele flys in to the head of Araujo making it 0-2.    Typically we expect things to change coming into the second half, however, Ferran Torres immediately opened the half with a missed shot on goal. Soon after Torres came back with an assist from Aubameyang and smashed one to the top right corner. The mayhem didn’t end there as Aubameyang got a ball back from Torres and went straight over the top of Courtois.    Xavi’s Barca came out with fire and completely dominated the table leaders and this game has really shown how far Barca really have come.    Shout-out to Erica Garcia and the midfield of Frenkie, Busquets, and PEdri who decimated the Real Madrid midfield of Modric, Kroos, Casamiro. Barca has the international break coming up and will be looking forward to continuing the run in La Liga and heading into the Quarters of the Europa League.  Music from Tunetank.com Nick Froud - Hidden Gods (Copyright Free Music) Download free: https://tunetank.com/t/6e4v/4081-hidden-gods

20 Mars 202210min

The Barca Breakdown discussed the victory in Istanbul against Galatasaray to carry them through to the Quarter Finals. Barca were tied coming into the second leg on a 0-0 aggregate. Xavi decided to deploy Erica Garcia in place of Ronald Araujo alongside Pique, Dest, and Alba. In the midfield we had Frenki, Busquets, and Pedri. Lastly in the front Aubameyang, Torres, and Traore.   The first half found Barca struggling to connect passes as well as they were susceptible to counter attacks. Even though Frenkie De Jong had an early opportunity in the 9' Barca were not looking good. On a set piece, Galatasaray were able to score a flying header past Ter Stegen to take them up 1-0. Barca took some time, but their defense closed down and were able to stop further breakaways. This allowed Barca to control the pitch.    In a fantastic display of skill and patience, Pedri was set in front of goal with defenders and Pena. He faked the defenders and smashed a ball past Pena, scoring the equalizer. This was the spark Barca needed coming into the second half. As we always say we look to have Xavi make subs when things need adjustment. Dembele came on at the start of the second, half in for Traore. Fast forward, a shot from Torres was blocked and came off to fall for Frenkie who placed it beautifully in front of Aubameyang. Barca took the lead 1-2!    While Barca move to the quarters, we are left with an injured Dest and a possible doubt of Pique playing in El Clasico. A victory against the rivals would be glorious! But what will happen if these important players are injured?

18 Mars 202213min

The BarcaBreakdown discuss the 4-0 victory of FC Barcelona over Osasuna. Two goals from Ferran Torres, one from Aubamayeng, and one from Riqui Puig helped FC Barcelona dominated Osasuna in La Liga, and gain retribution for the draw vs. Osasuna earlier in the season. Ousmane Dembele turned in an inspiring performance, with two great assists to Torres and Aubamayeng in the first half. The midfield of Pedri, Gavi and Busquets once again provided some magic, helping facilitate and control the game. After a rough game against Galatasaray in the first leg of the Europa League, Barca needed a statement victory to continue their undefeated streak and excite the team ahead of the second Europa leg and Clasico in the week to come. The Camp Nou was enthralled by the brilliant football played by Xavi's men. The team continues to perform and impress in La Liga. The hope is that the team can go to Turkey this Thursday and continue on in the Europa League.

13 Mars 202212min

The Barca Breakdown discussed the match of FC Barcelona v. Galatasaray in the Round of 16 of the Europa League. Barca came off a narrow victory against Elche over the weekend and the Breakdown hoped Barca would come back full throttle. Although, with our first impression of Xavi's line-up we were left a little uneasy. We saw Memphis Depay's first start since his injury in front with Ferran Torres and Traore. In the midfield, Nico started since Gavi was suspended with yellow cards alongside PEdri and FDJ. In the backline Alba stood with Eric Garcia, Araujo, and Dest. In the first half, Barca dominated possession and had a few chances on goal. However, Galatasaray created quite a few chances on the counter. Overall the first half was a bag full of mixed feelings and changes were needed. Xavi deployed Dembele, Busquets, and Pique for Torres, Nico, and Araujo which was a hopeful sight at the start of the second half. As the game progressed it seemed evident that Barca were not going to Score. Opportunities were left flat and crosses unmarked. Galatasaray maintained their defense and parked the bus in hopes of maintaining a clean sheet. They were successful. The final score leaves neither team with an advantage for the second leg. In the Breakdown's opinion, Barca were just not good enough. We look forward to the weekend game against Osasuna in hope that Barca are revamped and can score a solid 3 points for the table!

11 Mars 202211min