TA: If Flick does not solve the defensive problem, Barcelona may gain nothing; Yamal takes over the core responsibility

In the fourth round of the Champions League, Barcelona drew 3-3 away with Bruges. Yamal scored a goal and an own goal, and Ferran scored. After the game, "The Athletic" talked about Yamal's outstanding performance and the problem of Barcelona's defense being exposed.

Yamal's outstanding performance

With 1-2 behind, Barcelona continued to look for opportunities to equalize the score, but the shooting effect and luck were not ideal. Yamal has emerged as the centerpiece of the attack during this time, appearing to have shaken off a recent groin issue and taking on more creative responsibilities amid the injury to playmaker Pedri.

In the 61st minute, Yamal took the ball at the top of the arc and broke through multiple defenses. After a wonderful collaboration with youth training teammate Fermin, Yamal calmly sent the ball into the net. It was a brilliant goal, a perfect combination of efficiency and artistry, giving Barcelona a much-needed goal at a crucial moment.

But Brugge took the lead again after 3 minutes, and Barcelona once again needed the team's young superstar to step forward. In the 77th minute, Yamal passed a curve ball from the right, forcing Zolis to score an own goal. Although unlucky for the Greece international and Club Brugge, Yamal does deserve a bit of luck as Barca's best player.

Barcelona's defensive problems were once again highlighted

In just 6 minutes of play, Brugge broke through Barcelona's high defense, and Tresoldi easily scored. Brugge's second goal came from a defensive error by Barcelona, ​​and the home team only needed four passes to complete the goal. In the 64th minute, Brugge created a single goal with a through ball, and Borges scored with a shot to complete the double goal.

The sharpness and intensity of the Barcelona team has declined compared with last season. This makes it easier for opponents to take advantage of Flick's high defense, and also means that the number of goals conceded by Barcelona has increased significantly, especially on the road. In the last two away games in La Liga, Barcelona lost 1-4 and 1-2 to Sevilla and Real Madrid respectively (the latter had three goals disallowed for various reasons).

Unless Flick can solve these problems quickly, it seems difficult for Barcelona to win any honors this season. After the game, Eric Garcia admitted the existence of the problem: "The opponent created a lot of threats for us with counterattacks. Two passes can enter our penalty area. Obviously we need to improve. The team responded well today and we had many opportunities. But after we scored, the opponent immediately counterattacked, which is unacceptable.

"We must continue to work hard, this is the only thing we can do. I don’t think it’s just a defender issue because we are a total offense team. Sometimes we lose possession of the ball in dangerous areas, which makes it easier for the opponent to counterattack, which is something we have to eliminate. "