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3 Things We Learned: Athletic Bilbao vs FC Barcelona

By Benjamin Barkworth

Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FC Barcelona celebrates a goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first half of the game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FC Barcelona celebrates a goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first half of the game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Barcelona fell to a 2-1 defeat against the Basques in the first leg of the Round of Sixteen clash.

No Need To Panic

Starting the year with defeat is definitely not ideal, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate a disastrous year ahead. Getting a result at San Mamés is always hard, no matter the competition. Also, the game is over two legs, so Barcelona have chance to redeem themselves. It’s common in the Copa del Rey for teams to lose away and then rely on home advantage to pull them through in the return fixture. Barcelona at their best can blow away any team, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that in the return fixture at Camp Nou.

The Catalans have started other years with a defeat. Most notably, 2015, where they lost to Real Sociedad 1-0 in the league, but they ended up winning the treble that season. Interestingly, more comparisons can be made with that season. Real Madrid were on a great run at the start of that year while Barça were struggling. However, the end of the run led to inconsistent form for them while Barça stormed ahead. Could history repeat itself? Let’s hope so.

Pressing Issues

Bilbao showed us that the high press is still the best way to get at Barcelona. Granted, they were helped by some key players being below average such as Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. The aggressive pressure on the ball unsettled Barça in a way that other styles don’t. Eventually, they managed to regroup and started to assert some control on the match, but they still struggled to control matches. The refereeing didn’t help Barcelona’s cause either, but you can’t rely on that to get a result if you’re a top team such as Barça.

More from Analysis

This match was prime evidence of why Luis Enrique needs to have a plan B, whether it be a slight tactical shift, substitution or a complete tactical overhaul. Either way, a change could unsettle the opposition. An example of this, with the benefit of hindsight, could be switching to a 3-4-3 against Bilbao at half-time. This would have given the defenders more security in possession, and would have liberated the front three of any defensive requirements which would have allowed them to stay high up the pitch. Therefore, allowing them to exploit the defensive holes caused by adopting a pressing system. Regardless, Barcelona need to have an answer to the high press because they can’t always rely on their best players to bail them out each time.

Next: Pique's comments on the Bilbao game

Messi

Continuing with the theme of key players bailing out the team brings us to the Argentinian magician. He certainly wasn’t at his best, yet he nearly pulled out a draw from nothing. At the heart of everything good the Catalans had to offer. His goal was exquisite, a free-kick from the right hand side of the goal which the keeper was unable to parry out of his net. He was involved in a few moves which broke down at the last-minute, and he hit the post with a thunderous shot at the end.

Once again, it was a remainder of his brilliance, and the high expectations we have of him. He has that unique ability to create something from nothing, and that means Barcelona always have a threat when he is on the pitch. Having faith in Lionel Messi rarely lets you down, and the team will be relying on him in the return leg.