Szczesny responds on the tightrope during classic week

"Fighting until the end to get the 3 points at home". With this message on his Instagram account, Wojciech Szczesny expressed his satisfaction after the hard-fought victory. Although he was not the one who scored the winning goal, his performance was crucial for Araujo´s goal to count for three points. The goalkeeper intervened with reflexes at two crucial moments: first, stopping a one-on-one against Vanat, and then slightly deflecting a shot from Portu that ended up hitting the post.

A match on the edge

Szczesny —“Tek” to his teammates— experienced an afternoon of maximum demand in a Barça that was falling apart with every attack from Girona. Witsel explained it after the match: with just two touches, the opposing team managed to get in front of the Polish goalkeeper in one-on-one situations. Surprisingly, Girona failed to capitalize on those opportunities, sometimes due to Tek´s intervention, and other times due to a lack of precision in the shot. To equalize, Míchel´s team needed an unbelievable play: a spectacular bicycle kick from Witsel that left the goalkeeper without reaction.

A Barça with offside problems

Girona created numerous clear chances in Montjuïc, confirming a pattern that is concerning. Another opponent managed to break the offside line of Flick´s team. The statistics are revealing: Barça has dropped from 75 offsides provoked at this point last season to 49 this season, a difference of 26, which equates to 34.6% less. The pressure once again showed itself to be unbalanced, and the question remains whether it is a tactical problem or due to absences. The absences of key players are affecting the system. The absence of Raphinha, vital in high pressing, and Iñigo Martínez, who best managed the defensive line and organized his teammates, is being felt. After the match, Pedri acknowledged that the team still struggles to execute pressure well. Girona knew how to exploit those gaps, as other teams have done this season, taking advantage of spaces from the second line.

Tek, a lifeline amid uncertainty

In the midst of defensive confusion, Barça found in Szczesny a reliable answer between the posts. Although he could have done a bit more on Witsel´s goal, his overall performance was crucial in holding the team together. This is good news for the Blaugrana, who face a demanding week with the Champions clash against Olympiacos on Tuesday and the league classic on Sunday. The team misses Joan Garcia, who was showing a very high level before getting injured, but recovering the best version of Tek could be key to maintaining competitiveness in the upcoming matches.