Barcelona were far from sharp Thursday in the first half, trailing Real Oviedo away from home, but a strong second half from Hansi Flick’s team would see them win 3-1 against the newly promoted side to close the gap atop LaLiga to only two points behind Real Madrid. It was quite a way for Barcelona to go behind with keeper Joan Garcia being caught out of his net, but three different players scoring in the second half was more than enough to pull the result out.
Flick rotated the side with big games coming on the horizon, including Paris Saint-Germain in Champions League play next week, and a mixed Barca side struggled to break down Real Oviedo’s defense, opting for low percentage shots from outside of the box during the first half. Garcia’s error, not only being caught outside the box but also giving the ball away, allowed Oviedo midfielder Alberto Reina to score from long range, giving his side the lead at halftime.
At the half, Flick would take Marc Casado out of the match, bringing on Frenkie De Jong in a move that immediately paid dividends. Casado struggled to push possession forward, and the entire team’s attack changed when the Dutch midfielder entered. Barcelona were able to get the ball into the box with ease, with only two shots coming from outside the box in the second half, while ruthless finishing ensured that the shots wouldn’t be wasted.
With Gavi out for around five months after undergoing knee surgery, this should come as a worry to Flick. Pedri and De Jong are an excellent pivot of starting midfielders, but when Barcelona have three games in eight days, they need to be able to rest. The drop off to Casado or defenders like Eric Garcia stepping into midfield is a drastic one, and that’s one of the biggest concerns around this team.
Real Madrid are perfect to begin the new season under Xabi Alonso, and they’ve shown that they have depth everywhere. Barcelona have the depth in attack where Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford have been reliable when needed, but further back in the pitch, they can’t match their rivals when rotation strikes. Looking to compete to retain the LaLiga title, Barcelona will need to get creative with how to rest their starting midfielders while getting the best out of the team.
Given how things have operated at Barcelona, there could be a 17-year-old waiting in the academy to do the job, but Flick will need to cast a wide net. Dropping points at any time could be enough to see the league slip away and see the team falter in the Champions League. At a club like Barcelona, the expectation is to compete for a treble every season, and those expectations only rose after Flick won the league in his first season in charge of the club.
Lamine Yamal’s return will help things, but how Barcelona perform without their best players is what will make or break this season. If they don’t find a way to do that, this is a season that will be destined for disappointment.
