Barcelona maintained their lead on high of the La Liga desk with a win over Las Palmas final evening, taking their tally to 54 factors after 25 video games.
The target was all the time to settle the scores in opposition to the Canary Islands-based aspect on the evening, particularly after they beat Hansi Flick and Co. earlier this season in Catalonia.
The opening half concluded goalless after the guests struggled to search out solutions for the hosts’ resilient defence, however the half-time change from Flick helped them get their foot again within the recreation.
Finally, targets from sealed the 2-0 win and introduced residence the three very important factors.
Barça Common brings you three takeaways from Las Palmas 0-2 Barcelona.
Substitutes lead the cost
45 minutes into their recreation final evening, Barcelona appeared misplaced and much from taking the lead at Gran Canaria.
Las Palmas, after making the Catalans undergo for 90 minutes at Monjtuic, had been on target to repeat the identical and it was clear that so much wanted to alter.
Flick made only one change at half-time, taking off Fermin Lopez who was not at his greatest on the evening, and changing him with Dani Olmo who has slowly been making his method again from damage.
Olmo’s introduction, in itself, modified the course of the sport. Certainly the Spaniard required a number of touches to get again into the rhythm and was concerned in some inaccurate passes, however what adopted was elevated dominance from Barcelona.
With the attacking midfielder rising into the sport, Barcelona started creating extra threats extra typically within the last third and his actions within the field destroyed the hosts’ fastidiously orchestrated defence.
Errors started creeping into the Las Palmas defence regardless of them trying impenetrable simply earlier than the break and it’s not shocking that it was Olmo himself who broke the impasse.
The Spaniard confirmed immense ability to dribble previous defenders in a decent house and create room to shoot previous the goalkeeper and made the troublesome feat look ridiculously simple to place his aspect forward.
Notably, even the second aim in opposition to Las Palmas was – Torres.
Questions must be requested about Lewandowski
Barcelona had been removed from their greatest throughout the sector final evening and a plethora of causes will be attributed to the identical.
If one participant needed to be picked for being underwhelming and disappointing on the sector, not many would object to the finger being pointed in the direction of Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker barely contributed to Barcelona’s efficiency regardless of taking part in the whole 90 minutes and had simply 23 touches of the ball all recreation.
He solely tried 13 passes of which he accomplished 10 and recorded only one shot on the right track in the whole evening.
Lewandowski struggled to create any house in Las Palmas’ low block and the tight areas within the field noticed him lose possession the moment he gained it.
He by no means obtained into an amazing scoring place, and questions now need to be raised about his performances regardless of his numbers this season.
Whereas the ahead has been a lot better in opposition to groups that make use of formidable and attacking play, he has been atrocious in opposition to low-blocks and it’s excessive time the supervisor begins contemplating alternate choices on such nights.
In any case, Torres and Olmo working as a striker or false 9 have confirmed far more efficient in tight areas and each gamers proved their worth final evening,
The necessity for a better gear
The three factors from Estadi Gran Canaria are very important in Barcelona’s bid to retain the lead in La Liga, particularly given the tight schedule forward.
Furthermore, the 2-0 win over Las Palmas echoes the dressing room’s emotions after the slim victory final weekend and it’s largely constructive that Flick’s males are capable of get the job completed even on nights when they don’t seem to be at their greatest.
A brief look on the schedule coming forward for the Blaugrana, nevertheless, displays the necessity for them to be at their highest – one thing they had been removed from final evening.
Regardless of securing the win over Diego Martinez’s aspect, Barcelona weren’t fairly hitting the best ranges at Gran Canaria.
The workforce appeared comparatively out of sync, gamers weren’t on the identical bandwidth and the sport seemed to be transferring a lot slower than the workforce has been accustomed to this season.
Barcelona subsequent face Atletico Madrid within the Copa del Rey after which have the likes of Actual Sociedad, Benfica, and Osasuna on their calendar.
There may be an pressing must up their recreation and return to the extent they confirmed earlier this 12 months. Flick burdened the identical in his post-match press convention and it’s encouraging that he has taken be aware of the shortcoming.
