Barça is leaking in defense and complicating its life in Europe

Hansi Flick´s team once again demonstrated its defensive shortcomings on a night full of errors, where the talent of the young winger only served to avoid a defeat that would have been even more painful. The blue and garnet team, which last season barely dropped five points in the entire group stage, has already matched that figure with only four matchdays played. Now they will have to face the always demanding Chelsea away with the pressure of not being able to fail. The fragility at the back is the main problem: Barça concedes too many opportunities in every match, and Belgium was no exception. The three goals from Bruges could have even been more, despite the notable offensive performance of the culé team.

Flick repeats eleven... and the plan crumbles

The German coach wanted to maintain continuity with the team that had shone the previous weekend against Elche, repeating the lineup. Pau Cubarsí was once again left out of the eleven, possibly due to the physical power of the opponent, while Casadó and Frenkie de Jong formed in midfield despite being on yellow card alert. Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski, just back from injury, started again on the bench. However, Flick´s approach did not yield results. Bruges came out with high and intense pressure, and just six minutes in, they were already ahead on the scoreboard. The Catalan team failed to adjust its defensive line, and the Portuguese Carlos Forbs — a constant nightmare for Balde — took advantage of the mismatches to assist Tresoldi, who easily beat Szczesny. The local forward exploited the gaps in the blue and garnet defense, a weakness that opponents have been frequently capitalizing on this season. Coach Nicky Hayen had studied Barça well, and his plan took effect from the start.

Immediate reaction, but without solidity

Barça responded quickly. Three minutes later, Ferran Torres equalized with a good shot after a cross from Fermín López, restoring hope. From there, the blue and garnet team dominated possession and created danger, including a shot from Fermín that hit the post. However, the team fell back into its major flaw: lack of concentration. A corner in their favor turned into a lethal counterattack. In just five touches, Bruges found themselves in front of Szczesny, and Forbs scored the 2-1 after a chain of defensive errors and lack of decisiveness in the second play. With the score against them, Barça poured forward into the opponent´s area. Lamine Yamal, seemingly recovered from his pubic discomfort, was the most incisive on the right flank. Balde sought depth on the left, Koundé hit the crossbar, and Ferran nearly equalized before halftime after a great through ball from Lamine. Despite the chances, Flick´s men went to the locker room trailing on the scoreboard.

Lamine leads the reaction, but the defense fails again

As soon as the second half began, Barça came out determined to equalize. Casadó and Lamine forced the goalkeeper Jackers to shine, but the 2-1 remained unchanged. Flick made a move ten minutes in: Lewandowski and Olmo came on for Ferran and Casadó, looking for more firepower up front. Rashford, ineffective throughout the match, remained on the field. The team came close to scoring on several occasions, including a long-range shot from Eric García that hit the crossbar again, the third of the night for the culés. Shortly after, Lamine Yamal completed a sensational individual play to make it 2-2 with the help of Fermín. But the joy was short-lived. The defense crumbled again, and Balde, in a forgettable match, struggled against an inspired Forbs, who missed a clear chance before scoring again to put Bruges ahead once more. Unforgivable.

Lamine rescues Barça and VAR avoids disaster

The young player from Rocafonda, booed by the home crowd, did not give up. In a display of character, Lamine Yamal scored the definitive 3-3 with the help of Tzolis, who deflected his cross into the net. Barça still had more than ten minutes to try for a fourth, but also to suffer another monumental scare: Szczesny made a mistake that allowed Vermant to score, although VAR disallowed the goal and avoided a defeat that would have been a true scandal. Fortunately, Lamine´s discomfort did not reappear, and the youth player was the only fully positive note of a night in which the team once again showed its most serious weaknesses. The draw leaves Barça in an uncomfortable position in the table and complicates their chances of qualifying among the eight best in Europe.