Special Envoy to ManchesterBarça will maintain the European drought for another year. After being eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, he said goodbye to the Europa League in the first change against a Manchester United that showed him that he still needs a bit to be at the level of the greats. The team played in the play-off and went down with honours, but ultimately went home after squandering their first-half lead thanks to a Lewandowski goal. Fred and Antony turned the score around in a hot and exciting match at Old Trafford (2-1).
The team had been unlucky for a double game. To begin with, because he found himself against the worst possible opponent in the second European competition, a United resurrected since Erik ten Hag is the coach. And, also, because he had to play without three key players such as Gavi, Pedri and Dembélé. As if that wasn’t enough, the team lost Araujo, injured in the second half in Manchester. Too many setbacks for a Barça that was forced to change its approach and that, especially after the break, could not contain the attacks of a physically stronger team, with more legs to run and more powder in attack.
Xavi asked his players to have a head. Probably the most complicated against an opponent who attacks in a storm and in a stadium that lights up like a match. United had already shown at the Camp Nou that they were superior in the exchange of blows and confirmed it in the second leg. The emotional factor weighed on it, but if Barça was left out it was not because of the atmosphere, which is always hostile. The red devils they were disoriented after Lewandowski’s goal, which beat De Gea from the penalty spot in the quarter-hour mark. A penalty which was absurdly committed by Bruno Fernandes, the same player who had forgiven, minutes before, a hand-to-hand with Ter Stegen. The Blaugrana goal froze the opponent, who was about to give away the second just before the break with a loss of the goalkeeper that neither Sergi Roberto nor Kessie knew how to take advantage of.
But Ten Hag knew how to reactivate their players at the break. Antony’s entry gave courage to a United who, taking advantage of a Kessie turnover, equalized just after returning from the changing rooms. Barça, imperial until then, sure of themselves, lost confidence and were left without the solidity they had shown in a remarkable first half. Without the starting insiders, Xavi decided to populate the midfield anyway and cede the attack to Raphinha and Lewandowski, well helped by Sergi Roberto, until he was replaced by Ferran Torres. The game wasn’t that flashy, but it wasn’t about showing off, it was about winning. And the matches last 90 minutes. United, with fresh legs and attacking on the wings, increasing the pressure, turned the situation around and went on to dominate the game and the tie.
It was not a new mistake. In fact, Barça have fallen into this trap in many games this season. In the same way that in La Liga it costs God and helps that the rivals overcome Ter Stegen, in Europe he knows that he will always end up conceding a goal. Until the tie, the team had been able to take the ball into the middle of the field, control it and prevent United from gaining the back of the defense through speed. At the restart, the ghosts of the international competitions returned. And with a rival that has much more firepower than most Primera teams, the fate was written.
Already trailing on the scoreboard, the collective game failed to generate clear scoring opportunities. A shot from Kounde and another from Kessie were the clearest opportunities to equalize for Barça. Lewandowski, well marked, could not do much else apart from converting the penalty. Raphinha, on the right, did not overwhelm the defense. And Balde, despite the courage in the offensive actions on the left, missed the crosses, all defective.
The performance of men like Busquets, who was returning from injury, and Frenkie de Jong, were overshadowed by the result. Especially the Dutch midfielder, wanted in the summer by Manchester United, who had been imperial in pressure, breaking lines with the ball and recovering from them when doing defensive tasks.
The team lacked individual quality against an opponent who, once they had the advantage, decided to shield their area and practically give up on the attack. It gave the impression that Barça could not quite believe it and that they ended up attacking more with their hearts than with their heads. The first part was long. The second flew by. A bad end for a team that is still green. Europe, one more year, will have to wait.