On Saturday, Barcelona was defeated 4-2 by Osasuna in a match in which Hansi Flick made crucial substitutions that ultimately backfired.
With an average age of 23 years and 292 days, the Catalans fielded their youngest starting lineup in a La Liga game since October 7, 1995, but El Sadar was just not the right venue for it.
Before the game, Flick argued that “we need to rotate,” and he wasn’t incorrect. However, he made too many substitutions against a squad that had a winning record at home and had quality up front in the form of Bryan Zaragoza and Ante Budimir.
It always seemed like a hazardous choice to insert untested youths Sergi Dominguez and Gerard Martin into his backline, and it never worked out. It was impossible to ignore the questions of why Eric Garcia or Jules Kounde didn’t play in the middle of defense, or why Hector Fort didn’t have a chance.
After finally receiving a break, Lamine Yamal was substituted in the second half and scored a goal that left many wondering what would have occurred if he had started here rather than at Getafe and taken a respite.
It was encouraging to witness Flick quickly raise his hands and accept responsibility for the outcome following the match. Although the manager is making every effort to shield his players, Barca’s roster limitations were made clear to everyone in this video.
Ferran Torres started and somehow managed to play the whole ninety minutes in what was yet another poor performance from the Spain international. This was made possible by the decision to rest Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
Torres provided nothing at all, save for one run in the second half that finally resulted in a saved shot. His vision was poor, he gave the ball away far too frequently, had a weak touch, and did not assist Robert Lewandowski or Jules Kounde.
His ongoing problems at Barcelona are a source of increasing irritation for a player who has managed to score 21 goals in 48 games for the Spain national team. You have to wonder how much patience the club has left with him.
All of which raised more than a few questions about Flick’s choice to ignore Ansu Fati once more. The German manager has frequently praised Ansu, but despite emphasizing the necessity to rotate his squad, he has only given him a few minutes against Monaco after he was deemed fit.
Barcelona shouldn’t be too upset about their loss at El Sadar, but they should be upset because Pau Victor was clearly fouled for the second goal. After the game, Pedri acknowledged that he had informed the referee that he had made a mistake in the decision.
Victor was likewise certain of what had occurred and puzzled as to why he hadn’t received a free-kick in its place.
“It’s a foul in my opinion, but I don’t want to make excuses because the referee wasn’t the reason we lost,” he said to reporters after the game. “He claims he touches the ball first, but it’s obvious that he stamps on my ankle after that. Although the referee ruled that it was not a foul, there is nothing we can do about it.
